Living Animation
by Kuraun Kuraun
Summary: His hand was warm; concrete. These people should have been merely ink on paper, a figment of her imagination. "None of this makes any sense! If you're real, does that still make me real?" Was there more to Katsura Hoshino's world than what meets the eye?
1. Chapter 1

_**Author's Note**_ - Hello! This is officially my very first story in the _D. Gray-Man_ fandom. Hopefully everyone enjoys reading this as much as I enjoy writing it. As a warning, since I understand that some people dislike original characters, this _does_ have an original character in it. I thank you all that give my work a chance, but if you don't like original characters in FanFiction, this is not your cup of tea. You have been warned.

Dedicated to my friends for their help and support. Especially **Ozuchi-Kozuchi **for being my BETA. Thanks, guys!

**Disclaimer** - _D. Gray-Man_ and its characters are property of Katsura Hoshino.

* * *

She _had_ to be hallucinating.

There was no other logical explanation for why she was seeing the Ark laid out in front of her neatly, as though naturally. The Subway bag she was carrying, still full of fresh, hot Subway sandwiches, dropped from her hand as an eerie feeling overcame her. Shakily, she began to walk through the streets aimlessly, hoping to run into something, anything to tell her that this wasn't real.

"Hello?" She called out, half expecting her friends to just appear in their cosplay costumes and accurately impersonate their own characters. "Guys, is this some kind of joke?"

When calling out for someone didn't help, she began to open doors randomly, hoping to find someone. There was no way this could be real. The Ark was an animation, not based on some place real, right? Not to mention, it was entirely impossible for your hotel room to just _become_ the place from a story during an Anime convention. A laugh escaped her lips as she collapsed onto the couch within a replica of the Fourteenth's room.

"Okay," she called out, "you can all come out now. Funny joke." She asked when no response came, "seriously, when did you all plan this?"

Looking to her side, she screeched loudly, tightly gripping her clawed-hand as she noticed the familiar shadow looming in the reflection of the mirror. It cocked it's head to the side in a puzzled manner.

_"Did your voice just crack?"_

"No!" She yelled, "now cut it out!"

_"Geez, I was just asking..."_

Bewildered, she scratched the side of her head as she tried to piece it all together. Something about the shadow was off, but she couldn't quite place her finger on it. Letting out a dreadful, long sigh, she slumped down onto the stool in front of the piano, resisting the urge to lay her head on the keys.

Minutes passed by, and she felt herself growing agitated. What was she supposed to do _now_? As cruel as her friends could be for doing this to her, she was fully aware they would've at least snickered a while ago. What was the explanation for this, though? She glanced at the mirror once more, squinting her eyes in confusion. The shadow was defiantly the Fourteenth, although she shouldn't be able to see him. Of course, she was cosplaying as Allen, but that didn't mean she had _everything_ he had. For Goodness' sake, her "claw" was just paper mache!

_"What's with the sudden change of outfit?"_ The Fourteenth asked her, likely still under the impression she was his host. _"Thought you trashed it."_

Then again, there was really no need to cause any commotion was there? If she were to run into any of the other characters, what would she say? No way would they believe she was really an average girl from a "parallel" universe cosplaying as an Exorcist. Let alone that they were technically ink on paper.

Ignoring the shadow seemed to do itself good, because he didn't bother to push the subject any longer, leaving her in peace. A seemingly bright idea suddenly came to mind and she dug into her pocket and pulled out her cheap-ish cell phone. She frowned, however, as her fears were confirmed; no coverage, meaning that she really _was_ in a different place.

"What's _that_?"

She almost screamed. Almost. With frightened eyes, she glanced up at the silent newcomer, mentally cursing herself when she realized it was Lavi. Quickly, she hid the foreign device to keep it away, out of sight, smiling innocently. "What's what?"

Lavi paused. "Did your voice crack?"

She lowered her head in embarrassment, thankful that her wig's bangs were hiding her red cheeks. The Fourteenth was laughing now. "No," she growled in irritancy. _I'm a girl!_ she wanted to yell, but knew better.

"What's with the old outfit, Bean Sprout? Didn't you trash it back on the Ark?"

"Shut up you stupid rabbit." She winced as Kanda reached Lavi, grabbing the red-head by the collar and dragging him out. Just when she thought she was safe, Kanda leaned his head in and barked at her, "hurry up!"

She didn't need to think twice to shake her head. "Heck no." Were they crazy? How could they not know their own comrade? Didn't Crown Clown even look _fake_? Here she was with no experience in fighting and a "weapon" made out of paper (not even intended to work as a weapon, mind you) and she was expected to fight Akuma.

Both men paused upon hearing her voice. "It's a little late to be cracking your voice, don't you think?" Lavi teased, "you're fifteen."

She sighed angrily. "My voice _hasn't_ cracked," she growled. "And for the last time, my outfit isn't trashed. I knitted Crown Clown, for Goodness' sake; it's _supposed_ to have many small, tiny holes!"

Something told her she should've kept that to herself. What was she thinking, coming into here and just thinking everything would settle itself? Maybe she should've hid in the middle of the street behind some building having yet to be used. What was she supposed to do now? Run away and open some random door and escape? True, everyone seemed to be connected to some church, but she could run, escape town, and have it all behind her. How would they help her get back, anyway? The Order existed to take care of Akuma, Earl, and Noah, not lost teenagers stuck in a book.

And that's exactly what she did. Without any warning, she grabbed every last of her belongings, which happened to be her backpack which was still on her back, and the multiple sandwiches she'd purchased just recently, and raced towards them. She managed to squirm away, evading both Kanda and Lavi as they tried to catch her, still under the impression she was Allen. Where was she supposed to go? Connected gates had numbers on them, she faintly remembered, silently thanking God that she was such a lover of books that it didn't irritate her no end to read the same ones over and over again. Where were they, though?

It took a surprise appearance of Lavi from one of the side street to make her realize she was racing in circles around the same block. She stopped, the older Exorcist missing her by centimeters and ending up sprawled on the ground, but completely forgot about his Japanese partner and therefore, was unable to prevent getting caught from behind.

"What's with you?" Lavi asked her, getting back up onto his feet. She didn't give up right there, though, and immediately spun around and kicked at the unsuspecting man behind her and ripped herself out of his grip before dashing off once more, the chase resuming. Spotting a registered gate out of the corner of her eye, she grabbed hold of the handle and pushed it open, ready to make her escape. She wasn't expecting for someone to be on the other side ready to use it as well, though, and had to drop to her knees and crawl between their legs. It would've been comical how Lavi crashed right into the poor man, but she still wasn't out of the woods yet.

"Hey!" A cloaked man called after her as she sidestepped him, her heart racing, "who are you and what business do you have here?!"

She was out on the streets now, weaving in and out of crowds in the crowded place in high hopes of shaking off the Exorcists. She was panting heavily, desperately wanting to stop for a break, but she knew she couldn't stop now. Not when she was almost free. Turning a corner sharply, a group of clowns likely promoting a circus was set up on the sidelines, juggling. Seeing no other route to escape with, she quickly decided on the dark alley, making her way towards the back before she ducked down low, forcing herself not to breathe heavily in order to trick the Exorcists into passing by.

It seemed like she waited forever there, waiting for them to pass, but they finally did, and it was a long while before she mustered up the courage to escape from the town. Letting out a long, deep breath, she got up onto her feet, already establishing a plan. It would do her no good to be mistaken for any Exorcist, especially Allen, so she would need to do odd jobs somewhere after arriving at another town. Thank God she was cosplaying. It may have been her first time (and boy was she never going to do it again), but her friends were into it and had not only begged her for months to cosplay, but had also made sure she didn't "make a fool of herself". One stop to a place with water would let her to wash Allen's curse mark from her face and dispose of his wig. The outfit would have to wait, but perhaps until she saved up more she could buy materials and make cheap adjustments to get rid of the aspects that just cried out "Exorcist".

She barely planted a foot forward before someone harshly grabbed onto the fabric she'd used to make Crown Clown, pulling her back and holding her against them in attempts to make sure she wouldn't escape again. "Don't move," a firm voice commanded, but it wasn't either of the Exorcists. She only fought harder, unsure of the situation she was getting herself into, but froze upon her captor grabbing hold of the back of her neck. "I'll suffocate you if I have to keep you quiet," they warned roughly, letting go of her neck and grabbing onto the back of "Crown Clown" once more. "Now, get down on your knees and give me all your valuables and money."

Valuables? _What_ valuables? Back at home, her phone would be considered a valuable as much as the iPods she'd never been able to afford, but what about here? Should she give up what money she had?

"Here," she quickly told them, tossing the few bills she had left from her lunch trip. "It's all I have. I swear."

"Heh," the man scoffed before roughly shoving her against the wall of the building, tearing off her backpack and beginning to search through her belongings as well as her pockets. "What the heck is this?" He demanded as he fingered her cell phone, flipping it open and pressing random buttons. He hit her after a few moments. "I asked you a question, brat! What is this?!"

"M-My phone," she stuttered, wincing. He never answered and instead searched the rest of her belongings, pocketing her money and phone, which seemed to be mainly out of interest. Catching him eying her, she dared herself to ask, "what do you want?"

"Deciding what I want to do with you." He pressed her against the wall. "You're a brainless idiot, staying all quiet when there's a crowd full of people down there."

"It's loud," she snarled. "No one's going to hear me. All robbers have _some_ weapon on them, and quite frankly, I don't find a few bucks and a cell phone that's useless here worth dying over. I have nothing left, so if you're done, get out of here before someone catches you."

"Shut up." He pressed her head against the building once more. "That kind of mouth's gonna get'cha beat up."

"That's awfully manly of you," a familiar voice said casually, "to have the guts to threaten a young lady."

The thief released his hold on her, but she still stayed glued to the surface, afraid to even breathe. "Consider yourself lucky, brat," he hissed before attempting to make his leave. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her savior latch onto the man's wrist.

"I believe you have something to return."

She yelped when the man snarled, spinning on his heels to face her and shoving her belongings in her face before taking off down the alley way. Several seconds passed after he left before she could calm herself and exhale once more. Slowly, she bent down to pack her belongings back into her backpack. Calmly, she moved to leave before her savior could stop her, not wanting to make anymore commotion in case the Exorcists happened to still be in the town. The figure grabbed hold of her arm as soon as she was exposed to the light, making her look back in shock. No wonder the voice sounded familiar; it was Allen.

Seeing Lavi and Kanda gathering around her, trapping her, she laughed nervously. "Merry Christmas?" she offered, only to receive two puzzled looks and a scowl. Avoiding all of their gazes, she ended up having nowhere to look but the ground. She suddenly felt small and lost, but as the silence grew too disturbing for her to bear, she quietly murmured, "may I help you?"

"Why are you stealing the Beansprout's identity?"

Even though it was Kanda who'd asked her, she still did not look at him, and absently began to play with her boots. "Someone gave it to me as they were passing by," she tried to lie, but as she replayed her words in her head, she nearly slapped herself on the forehead. How lame was _that_?

"That was such a bad lie, I don't know how to respond to that..." she heard Lavi mutter to Allen before she felt his eyes on her once again."If that's the case, why do you look exactly like him?"

"I hear it's the new look," she said dumbly, hoping they'd get tired of her talking so stupidly and give up. Should she run? Nah, they were circled around her, anyway. "Really, guys, I need to go. Miss Akama's gonna kill me if I don't deliver those books before social security runs out. Plus, I shouldn't talk to strangers..."

"We're not really strangers if you're dressing as one of us, are we?"

"Shoot. That's a good point." Slowly she stood, watching her surroundings. As the thought crossed her mind, she faked a horrified face, pointing into the darkness of the alley. The moment all their attention averted away from her, she clocked it, searching for another crowd to lose them, but as though the people of this town disliked her, they were no longer around.

She was halfway down the street when something soft, yet strong wound around her arm, yanking her backwards and making her fall flat on her back. Tilting her head to look at her arm when she couldn't pull it forward anymore, she rolled her eyes when she realized what it was. Just her luck for Allen to put Crown Belt to good use...

Someone helped her rise back onto her feet, and upon seeing Crown Belt free her from its grip, she figured it was Allen. His hand was wrapped around her arm tightly, locking her into place, but it didn't stop her. Wildly, she flung her arm his way, but he ducked his head just in time, his grip tightening as he pulled her forward, wrapping an arm around her torso in order to maintain his hold on her.

She tried to stomp on his foot, but his boots seemed to do a fair well job of cushioning the assault. Of course, she had no experience with karate or tae kwando, so she obviously looked just as pathetic to them as a dog trying to climb a tree, but it didn't mean she wouldn't try.

"Please," Allen told her as he pinned her arms behind her back, leaving her sitting on her knees in the middle of the road, Lavi and Kanda finally arriving at the scene, "we mean no harm, I swear. If you know me enough to look like me, you should know the kind of person I am."

Technically, no. To her, he should've been nothing more than ink on paper. A favorite character, yes, but there was certain extent to which you could take something. And growing ecstatic while glomping him was not an option she could take. Plus, in downright sense, who on Earth was going to lay back and enjoy all of this? What about her friends? How are they going to feel about her heading to Subway, just next door to the hotel the convention was being held at, only to disappear with no trace or witnesses at all?

She hadn't realized she'd begun to cry until he was shaking her. "Ma'am, are you alright?! Seriously, you're _not_ in trouble! I mean, you only nearly mowed me down back at the church to get away, right?"

"I want to go home!" she wailed. "It's not fair! I should've chosen paper instead of scissors!"

"Stop crying," Kanda snapped. "After you're interrogated you can go home."

She only began to sob louder, barely hearing Allen as he yelled at the Japanese man, "Kanda! Can't you see she's scared?!"

"I'm not scared!" she snapped. "I'm _terrified_! When they can't find me, they're going to think I'm dead and hold a funeral. I'm _fifteen_; I don't want my name written on a headstone yet!"

"No, no, it's okay, ma'am, really!" Allen assured her, still having yet to remove his hands from her shoulders. "Where are you from?"

"A small little town that probably doesn't even exist. I'm going to be homeless for the rest of my life. I'm so under-educated a _circus_ wouldn't hire me."

"Under-educated?" Allen and Lavi repeated in question, looking at each other, hoping for answers. By now she had calmed herself, but was still shaking. She only looked up when Allen offered her his hand.

"We mean no harm, ma'am. Please, would you come?"

* * *

"I don't get it... are you or are you not stealing Allen's identity?"

She sighed and, as impossible as it seemed, managed to slouch lower into the sofa. Why couldn't she just be unnoticeable? At home no one ever noticed her and heck, even at the convention no one seemed to care who she cosplayed as, so why would everyone _now_ suddenly ask her so many questions at once? Granted, there were many possibilities that were likely rising in each of their minds that easily ranged from psychotic to being a spy for the Earl, but still, why _her_?

It could've been worse, though. Although she'd been hoping to get as far away from the raging war and go about her "daily" life until she returned home, she could've easily fallen into the hands of the Earl.

"I wasn't stealing his identity," she said as she remembered she'd been asked a question. It was embarrassing, being caught in this mess, and didn't really have the guts to say aloud, _"my friend forced me to dress up as him"_; while it was true, it was something they didn't need to know.

"Why are you dressing as him, then?"

Quickly, she lied. "Someone turned me into their doll. It's pretty hard to change out of an outfit forced upon you if they burn your clothes. And it's not like I _could've_ worked for the money. Even the circus refuses to hire someone to pick up after their animals if they have no diploma."

"What's a diploma?"

"You know, those things they give you when you graduate school, saying that you met all of the requirements?" She stopped abruptly as she remembered the likeliness of none of them understanding what she was saying. "Oh yeah, it's easier to get by here..." she muttered absently to herself, eyes widening as she slapped a hand against her mouth. Unfortunately, Allen had been beside her and heard the whole thing.

"Huh?"

"Nothing."

"It didn't sound like nothing."

"How do you know it's not nothing if you have no idea what I'm talking about?" she challenged. "What _isn't_ nothing is the fact that I have a paper due on Tuesday, an ASL test on Wednesday, and a volley ball tournament this Friday." She shrugged. "That I don't really care about, though. I'm the worse on my team unlike..." her face fell, "shoot. I _have_ to get back! I have Solo and Ensemble next Saturday! It's meant to be a violin, cello, viola trio, not a cello and viola duet!"

As she sunk her head in shame, muttering to herself about her failure, Allen exchanged looks with the other occupants in the room. "Don't look at me," he told Komui, "I have no idea what she's talking about."

"Excuse me," Komui spoke to her, ceasing her mutter and making her forget about her immediate doom for the time being, "what do you mean "I have to go back"?"

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes at him. Shouldn't it have been obvious? "Home."

"Where _is_ home, though?"

"In the twenty-first century," she accidentally blurted out. Just when she was beginning to mentally pound her head Komui nodded.

"Oh, okay? Where is that, might I ask? It's a town, right?"

Shouldn't he have caught on? "Uh, yeah!" she chirped, "it's in America!"

"Ahh! Splendid, they speak English, then! How shall I get a hold of them to inform them of your safety?"

Wasn't she being interrogated? What kind of "military" phoned parents of suspicious children? What could he possibly say even if she _was_ from this century and world? That she was safe unless otherwise proven as a threat, in which case she'd be disposed of?

"I don't have parents."

"You're really confusing," Lavi said to her. "I mean, how can a town you're _from_ not exist yet? The only way that'd be possible was if you were from the future..."

All at once everyone sprung up out of their seats, pointing accusing fingers at her as they screamed, "you're from the future?!"

"Not _your_ future." Once again, what was she thinking? Was she _trying_ to get herself into more of a mess? Now there was no way she was getting out of here.

"Huh?" Komui responded to that remark.

"What do you mean?" Allen asked.

"I already told you. I'm from the future, but not _your_ future."

"If you're not from our future like you say you are," Link, who'd join their group upon returning to Headquarters, asked, "then why is it that you know enough about us to dress like Walker?"

"Makes sense," Lavi mused in amusement, "she's so small and scrawny. Yuu, isn't she a bean sprout?"

"Don't call me that!" she snapped.

"Can hardly tell the difference!"

"Lavi does have a point, though." Allen agreed. "If you're not from our world, how would you know so much about us?"

"I don't know," she lied. "I just do."

* * *

"What am I supposed to do with five sandwiches?"

It was a dilemma, indeed. While she was starving, there was no way she was going to eat five Footlongs in one standing. Yet, she didn't really want them to go to waste, considering that was about twenty-five dollars going down the toilet. What was she supposed to do with them, though?

"You must be the new girl." Lenalee sat down in the seat across from her, suddenly making her sink further into her seat. At least the older girl was aware she _wasn't_ Allen, but it was still unnerving. "I'm Lenalee."

She forced a smile. "Madelynn."

"You're one to talk, Link. All you have is junk food!"

Madelynn blinked as Allen and Link set down their load of food beside her. Calmly, she pushed her bag towards Allen, whose eyes immediately lit up. "Here," she said politely. Allen didn't waste even half of a second; stuffing his mouth with the food as though afraid Link would confiscate them.

"So you're Madelynn?" Allen said for the sake of starting a conversation at their table before they all became too enveloped in its silence. She nodded, not really sure of what to say. It wasn't like she'd been intending to speak to them all like this. However, she was fully aware that they were being careful not to let her know she was pretty much stuck here. It was disappointing, but it couldn't be helped. At least it gave her shelter in the free time, and a possible chance at finding answers to her questions, before she made her escape.

"What do you do for a living?" Link asked her, cracking one eye her way. If she didn't know any better, she'd assume he was memorizing information to hand over to Leverrier.

"Not much," she said truthfully. "By law, we are required to attend school Monday through Friday. I'm part of a small community and don't particularly have much in common with my peers so I help the elderly a lot."

"What do you do in school?" Lenalee asked her.

She shrugged. "The usual."

"What's the usual?"

"Math, science, English... but I'm also part of the string orchestra, and am learning American Sign Language."

"They teach foreign languages?"

She nodded. "Education's very important."

Johnny joined the group after being beckoned over by Lenalee and Allen, taking the empty spot beside her. "You must be the new girl." He held out his hand, grinning behind his glasses. "The name's Johnny."

She shook it, gladly returning the welcoming smile. "Madelynn." She blinked. "You know, I swear they're making these not as filling anymore. I'm still hungry." Allen handed her a stick with mitarashi dango on it.

"Try it. It's really good."

Figures.

"Really, Allen, really?" Lavi asked him, earning a shrug in response

She took a bite. "Hey, this is good. You wouldn't mind if I stole the rest, would you?"

"Nice try."

That afternoon, lunch had been interesting.

* * *

Madelynn stared at her reflection in the mirror, completely horror-struck. She hastily applied soap to the rag, scrubbing at the left side of her face until she thought her skin would fall off. The results were still the same, no matter how hard she tried.

"Why... why won't it come off?!"

The makeup came off, exposing the acne she'd purposely been hiding, but no matter how much she scrubbed, the curse mark wouldn't wash away. What had Katie done? Apply twenty pounds of make-up to her face? Was she aware she was just supposed to draw Allen's scar, or had she thought she was preparing a clown for a circus show?

She was satisfied when she looked at the cloth, finding red spots, but the smile fell when she looked back into the reflective surface and realized it was still there, as though untouched. Hesitantly, she raised a hand to her face, brushing her fingers over the "scar". Red covered her fingers, she saw, so why did it look like the make-up was multiplying?

Curiously she smelt it, only to recoil as the horrible smell entered her nose. There was no way that was make-up, so what was it?

She screamed when she realized it was blood.

Madelynn wasn't quite sure how long she scrambled around like an idiot, dropping the rag multiple times in her quest to apply it to her cheek to stop the bleeding. Her efforts were fruitless, as well as her luck, which must've been horrible to have the door open and sending her scrambling to make it look like she was still in the bathroom stall.

"Madelynn?" It was Lenalee. "Are you alright? You've been gone for a long time."

Glaring at her reflection in the toilet, she replied, her voice nervously high, "yeah."

"Would you like help?"

Why did her chest feel so tight suddenly? "N-No..."

Lenalee seemed hesitant to leave her, but she accepted her answer and left, much to Madelynn's liking. As she climbed out of the stall, she held a hand to her chest, unsure of what to do. Was she having a medical emergency? It wasn't painful, but it was getting harder to breathe. Maybe she should sit? As much as it embarrassed herself to say it, the day had been rough; perhaps she was getting overwhelmed.

The blood was dry, but the whole left side of her face was sore so she didn't dare to touch it. She removed her wig, pulling her red hair out of its messy bun only it wasn't red anymore. Frozen in shock, she felt her hair, which was now entirely white like Allen's, as well as the scar. Why was all of this suddenly permanent? Where was the ugly, deformed hair kids used to pick on her endlessly for?

The door suddenly flew open once more, Lenalee emerging. "Allen-kun and Lavi are going to the training floor, would you like to join us--" she gasped in surprise, stepping backwards as she noticed the change. "Wh--What happened to your hair?"

She didn't answer, instead sunk down to her knees, resting her chin on them as she glared at the sinks. "I did it for their friggin' safety, so why'd they curse me? Ridding wagons into the street can be a dangerous thing!" she wailed, recalling the event prior to leaving for the convention in which her next-door neighbors "cursed" her for banning them from riding the wagon into the street.

The pain returned, only this time more intense. She stifled a scream as she clutched her chest, doubling over. Panic took over Lenalee as she rushed to her side. "Madelynn? Madelynn?!" When she didn't respond, she turned to face the open door, yelling out to someone for help.

"B-But Lenalee, that's the _girls'_ restroom!"

"She's having a _heart attack_! Are you telling me staying out there and not helping her is going to make you more of a gentleman?!"

A couple of Finders who happened to be females entered, but she denied the help, getting to her feet. "I'm fine," she croaked. "It's nothing."

"_Nothing_?! You were just--"

"It's not a heart attack. I'm fine, Lenalee." She winced, the pain hadn't subsided yet. "I just need some time."

Lenalee still didn't accept her answer though, and laid her hand on her forehead. "You're really warm, Madelynn. You should see Head Nurse."

Her legs gave out, and she nearly collapsed if it hadn't been for Allen to reach forward and help Lenalee pull her back up. She let forth a sharp hiss of pain, though, as his left hand touched her, pulling away from him quickly. "It hurts," she finally complained, trying to stop him from attempting to pick her up.

"Sorry," he said before lifting her onto his back, careful not to touch her with his left hand. Seeing that she'd lost the fight for her independence from him, she hesitantly wrapped her arms around him, unable to hold her head up any longer and lying it on his shoulder.

She wasn't sure how long she dozed off for, exactly. When she awoke again, she was still on his back. As she cracked an eye open, she winced in pain; his left hand was holding onto her leg to hold her up, probably because she'd been asleep. They were rushing through halls of the Order. How come it felt like she'd been asleep for a long time?

As her vision focused, she came to realize she wasn't in the halls of the Black Order, but Hevlaska's lair. Why were they taking her here? She wanted to voice her protests, but her voice was too hoarse, preventing her from doing so.

"Set her down," she heard Hevlaska order Allen. The boy gently laid her up against a nearby wall, joining in with everyone else as they gazed up at her. "Activate your Innocence."

Immediately, white clouded her eye sight, and it didn't take long for her to realize it was because Crown Clown was enveloping around her, almost as though trying to comfort her. Everyones' mouths fell open in shock, making her squint her eyes to try and focus on the Innocence. What was so different?

"Allen-kun," it was Lenalee who spoke, "why... why is Crown Clown splitting?"

That made her move. Her first reflex was to escape. Run. Her body had different plans, however, and she groaned as she moved, rolling over instead. Hevlaska moaned like a mother getting ready to deliver her child.

"Komui... the Innocence... it wants out..."

Komui looked at her for a moment. "Who is it's accommodator?"

"I cannot tell... but I feel that it is that child." She moaned once more. "I can't hold it."

"We'll take our chances," Komui told her with a nod. "Go ahead and let it free."

Her? An _accommodator_? Weren't accommodators supposed to be heroes? She wasn't anything but a town's girl... what interest could God possibly have in her?

She hissed in pain as the Innocence covered her left hand, sinking through her skin and making it burn. What was happening to her? First she stole Allen's scar and now she was stealing his hand? What was next? His Innocence? She must've jinxed it with that last thought, because one of the "halves" of Crown Clown moved to her side, pressing up against her back and rubbing a tendril over her warm cheek. Was it comforting her?

The others weren't of much help, only stepping back. Of course, they were mistaking her for an accommodator.

"Alright," she muttered aloud, a bit louder than she wanted, "I know I'm technically stealing your host's identity, but I'm _not_ Allen. He's over there. Leave me alone..."

But Crown Clown refused to part with her. The rest of the Innocence advanced towards her, pressing itself harder against her body. She gasped as she felt it enter her body. Her back began to burn, and she whimpered in pain as she curled up in a ball on the ground, trying to ease the pain somehow as the Innocence pushed itself further and further into her body. In shock, she watched as the creamy, black color began to spread through the rest of her arm.

She wasn't sure how long she laid there, pathetically rocking herself back and forth, telling her that this was all just a nightmare. Someone finally dared to move, kneeling by her side and forcing her to roll over onto her back and look at them. It was Allen, and surprisingly, he didn't look even remotely angry about the fact that she'd just absorbed half of his Innocence. Wasn't he supposed to be close to Crown Clown emotionally? Wasn't he at all sad?

"Madelynn?" He was speaking, she realized, really only because he helped her sit up. "Are you alright?"

She wasn't sure of what to say, and could only stand up numbly, rubbing her sore left arm. It felt stiff; incapable of functioning on its own. "Ouch," she mumbled when she poked it and a sharp pain sprung up her arm, "I thought it hurt when I ran into that stop sign or got hit in the head with a volley ball or locker door..."

Lavi's voice rung through her ears, popping out of nowhere and nearly giving them all a heart attack, after letting forth a whistle, "Beansprout's Innocence just gave her brain damage. Stop sign? Locker?" He laughed when he recalled previous events, however. "Oh, yeah! I completely forgot she was from some alien planet!"

"No one knows if they even exist," she replied, a bit irritated at the insult. "And it isn't funny! I already get picked on for my hair a school! If they made jokes just because of a deformed brown gene, how do you think they're going to feel about_ this_? I'm left-handed, for crying out loud! How am I supposed to write when I can't even move my arm?!"

"You care about that? Leverrier's going to throw a fit when he finds out you can't use your weapon."

Speaking of which, this meant she seriously _was_ stuck here, didn't it? Chances were high, considering their obvious lack of Exorcists; they wouldn't even care enough to search for a way to send her back home. And she was still clueless as to how she could see the Fourteenth or how she even got here.

The Fourteenth, she assumed, was better off a secret. If they were placing Allen under so much suspicion, who knew what she, a complete stranger to the organization, would receive?

Then, remembering Lavi's words, she retorted, "yes, I do. I'm left-handed, so how am I supposed to live with it as stiff as a board? I kind of need my fingers - violin geek here!"

"Eh? You understand her, Allen - you're the one who speaks Beansprout."

"_Please_ don't call me that!"

"You know, this is kind of interesting." Lavi grinned. "I thought you would've screamed the moment you saw your hand."

Momentarily, she studied her now-abnormal hand. "The color's not the point! This is serious! My whole life might as well revolve around my violin studies - it's like you guys and Akuma!" She shouldn't have said that, but she already did by the time she realized it and could only slap herself mentally.

The comment seemed to fly over their heads as Allen took hold of her hand, pressing his own against it as though to compare and contrast them. When he finished, he began to curl his fingers around her's, forcing them to bend. It was painful at first, but eventually she could feel the tension in her hand loosening.

His hand was warm; _human_. Suddenly, she didn't feel so alone. These people... were they something more than the characters of a book? They should be just ink, but here they were just as human as her. They breathed, laughed, interacted; they acted _human_. What did that make her, exactly? Was she cold to them?

"Madelynn? Is something wrong?"

She didn't know what to say, and could only tremble as tears rolled down her cheeks. What was wrong? Was she scared? Sad? Craving for home? Unable to answer him, she allowed the darkness to claim her.

* * *

"Oh, you're awake!"

The blinding light made it difficult to adjust to her surroundings. She was defiantly lying on something hard, which turned out to be an examination table. Wires were connected to various areas on her body. Resting her head on her hand sleepily, she tried to force her eyes open further; the voice was familiar, but she couldn't place her finger on it.

"Whoa! Take it easy!" Light seemed to reflect off of something... glasses, maybe? Ah, that was right! It was Johnny.

"I'm fine," she spoke, a bit gruffly on accident. The scientist seemed to understand, however, and handed her a glass of water. The wires were removed from her skin as she drank the liquids. Amazingly, she drank it all in one gulp.

"Allen stopped by a while ago." Johnny informed her, "he advises to flex your fingers and use your hand normally or it'll be harder to get it from its stiff state."

Out of curiosity, she flexed her fingers. It didn't hurt, but her fingers were defiantly still stiff, as well as her wrist. She made a fluid motion with her wrist like she would do vibrato exercises with her violin; obviously, it would be nearly impossible to play her instrument in this state, which horrified her, but it didn't matter. She had no access to a violin, anyway, as depressing as it sounded.

"Don't overdo it, though!"

"It's fine," she replied, shaking off Johnny's warning. "I do this all the time."

There was a slight pause before the young man curiously asked her, "so you play volley ball?"

Grimly, she nodded. "I hate it."

"Then why do you participate?"

"My mother doesn't approve of my attachment to my violin. She says the only way I can continue playing is if I play volley ball." Her mother, at her age during high school, had loved playing volley ball. She, unfortunately, lacked the same talent and was, no doubt, bad at it. "I love the violin so much it's like All--" she caught herself before she finished her thought, "_Ally_ and books." Good thing she caught herself; who knows what events would've occurred if she'd have finished with "Allen and his food".

"Who's Ally?"

Great. She made that all up, so what was she supposed to say about a friend that didn't exist? "Ally's... this girl at my school. She reads a lot of books."

Their conversation died as soon as Komui entered, smiling at her as a greeting before adjusting his glasses. His assistant... Brooke, she thought, followed in after him, likely making sure he was performing the tasks at hand he was supposed to accomplish. "I see that you're up, Madelynn. I'm Komui Lee, the supervisor here."

She nodded, a bit intimidated. Maybe she'd be lucky and he wouldn't pull a drill out of nowhere. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Supervisor."

"There's a few questions we have, if you don't mind." Not even waiting for an answer, he sat down in a vacant chair near her. "How, exactly, is it that you entered the Ark? No one has any records of seeing you enter it."

"I opened a door and it was there." Technically, she wasn't lying; just leaving certain bits and pieces out. Komui seemed to know this, though.

"How do you know of us? If you were running, and stealing Allen's identity, then you know about us, correct?"

She let out a long sigh. "I _wasn't_ stealing his identity. And why _wouldn't_ I run? You'd be pretty freaked out, too, if you were me and entering a possible war scene."

"You still haven't told use why you were dressed like Allen, though."

What was she supposed to say? There had to be a way to come clean without giving off the sense that she was a psychopath, unless that meant they got rid of her...

"I don't feel comfortable answering that question with everyone here."

With a wave of his hand, everyone slowly left the room, leaving only her and him. Once the door closed, the man smiled comfortingly at her. "Okay, I'm listening."

She hesitated for a moment, making certain that no one was still beside the door. When she was ready, she spoke softly, "I'm... not from the future, as it may sound. I'm from a parallel universe in the twenty-first century." She drew her legs up to her chest. "There's a book based on your time period back home."

She was trying not to give the man too much information. She was still uncertain about the extent she should take with these characters. It scared her how they were no longer just drawings on paper, and her fears only grew as she found herself more and more excuses to be trapped here. There was more than just not wanting to screw up a good story that gave her a reason to push them away.

"So, to you, we're not _technically_ living." Komui clarified for her, offering a smile. At least, at the moment, he had a more human characteristic to him besides that crazy character others had always joked about. Perhaps it was because of all the events that had occurred recently.

"I was hoping to keep that a secret," she mumbled to herself, but it was also partially directed toward the scientist. "Sorry for causing you all so much trouble. It's... somewhat common to dress as you guys."

"Oh?"

"Well, I could do without _really_ getting white hair and a curse." She shrugged. "But oh well, I'll live."

"That's the spirit. You look like you're starving, why not go eat?"

She laughed sheepishly. "Thanks." She made a run for the door but stopped as a sly smile crossed her face. Turning back to face the man, she told him, "oh, and just you know, you'd be _really_ horrified if you knew who people from my world paired your sister up with."

"Eh?!"

Her giggles carried through the hall.

* * *

"You're really quiet."

Madelynn tore her gaze away from the sight of Kanda and Allen sparing to look at Lenalee, who had taken a seat next to her against the wall. Seeing the slight pain in her eyes made her hold up her hands. "N-No, I'm alright, really! I honestly don't talk very much. That's all." She rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "Sorry..."

"What about your friends?" Lenalee said, "you were with your friends before, right? Don't you talk to them?"

"That's... complicated. They're not really _friends_, I guess... well, maybe they are, just not best friends."

After a while, she returned her attention to the spare in front of her, performing vibrato exercises with her left hand. Both girls were silent for a while before Lenalee smiled at her. "You know, if you want, maybe we could do something. Isolating yourself wouldn't be too good."

Madelynn gave her a smile. "Okay. I'd like that."

"Hey!" Lavi called out to them, waving his arms wildly. "Come out here, Mattie!" In response she shook her head, backing up against the wall even further. Were they crazy? They'd kill her! "Awww, come on! Don't worry, we won't kill you!"

"I don't even know how to fight!" she complained.

"All the more reason to get over here and learn! Come on, it's easy! Beansprout's pretty easy to take down." Barely even looking, he grabbed hold of Allen's clawed hand as the boy growled at him. "See?"

She laughed nervously. "I'm good."

"Come on, Mattie!" Lenalee, ignoring her protests of horror, latched onto her arm, dragging her out to where Allen was. "At least invoke. It's really easy. Allen-kun will show you."

"I will?" Lenalee elbowed him in the ribs. "Okay, I will."

"Really, guys. It's fine... I'll try on my own."

"Alright, then." Allen slyly crossed his arms, taking a step back. "Invoke Crown Clown then."

"I said I would _try_."

Before she could take back her words, Lavi grinned, seeming to take her response the wrong way. "Okay! Give it a try!"

"Uhh..." Truth was, she didn't have the slightest clue to how even invoke Crown Clown. It wasn't like the Innocence was going to love her as much as Allen and just pop up out of the blue. How could they even expect her to fight, anyway? She wasn't even trained for this. "It's not working," she announced, holding up her hand to pretend she tried.

"Madelynn," Allen seemed to be stifling laughter, "you didn't even try..."

"You sure I can't just distract the Akuma with music? It's a lot easier than trying to teach me how to fight..."

"Don't be silly," Allen stepped forward, gently taking her hand and holding it up so that she could see it clearly. "It's simple to invoke Crown Clown once you get the hang of it. However, you have to trust the Innocence before it trusts you."

Staring absently at her hand, she repeated quietly and slowly, as though to assure herself. "Trust it...?" Was it possible to trust the Innocence? She could see it was there, but was there really a spirit lingering within for her to trust? Of course Allen could feel it, he was a fictional character for Pete's sake, but she wasn't. Did anyone else even trust their weapons to the same extent?

Maybe she could befriend Crown Clown, as corny as it sounded coming from her. Generally, she was pretty trusting with new people, which she admitted _had_ led her to some pretty tough times. How was she supposed to do that, though? "Ummm... how, exactly?"

At this, Allen scratched his head, but his expression told her he was far from giving up. Seeing this, she forced herself to straighten her posture, even staring him directly in the eyes to deliver the message that he had her full attention. She wasn't quite sure what had struck the need to learn how to use Crown Clown, but whatever it was, she wouldn't back down now.

Suddenly feeling a strong current of wind blow around her, she glanced around, realizing that it was circling around her. It passed by quickly before anyone could comment on it, but their puzzled expressions died off as soon as Crown Clown appeared, unraveling itself and covering her entire back with its fluffy material. Without warning, the weight of its claw pulled her down to the ground. It felt entirely different from the one she'd made for her cosplay - or rather, her friend had made, as she technically only colored it - in more ways than just the weight. Her whole hand had morphed into the weapon, and the mask was much lighter than the clayed one she'd made. The impact of the wind had blown her hair in front of her face, leaving it at odd angles. Truth was, she never really realized just how long it'd gotten. Long hair annoyed her, as it always gave her problems when she tried to play the violin.

Once she adjusted to the change, she managed to stand back up again. Thankfully, she grew used to the weight quickly and within time, it felt just the same as her hand. When she looked up, however, she was shocked to find that Lavi and Lenalee had disappeared.

"Komui thinks it'd be best if I taught you," Allen told her. "We have the same Innocence, after all."

Nodding, she replied, "okay." It felt odd being alone with him, for some reason. Maybe it was just because she was still stuck in her cosplay outfit, and had been caught by him specifically "stealing his identity".

They were at it for a while, with literally no progress being made. She was extremely hesitant to fight and, according to him, didn't trust Crown Clown enough for the Innocence to work with her willingly. Really, she didn't have the slightest clue how he was aware of this, but let it sink in, anyway.

There was no way she was ever going to get this.

"Here," Allen suggested, "let's try it a different way."

He appeared in front of her, and if she hadn't taken a step back and tripped, he would've easily scratched her with his claw. On the ground, she rolled away from him, wincing as her claws made a sharp _screech_ as they ran across the floor in her haste to get back onto her feet. It was a mistake on her part, though, because Allen had expected the move and leapt onto her, pinning her arms to the floor.

"Pretty good," he commented, helping her back onto her feet. "I'll have to teach you some other techniques besides just rolling on the floor, though."

The second he turned away from her, she collapsed onto the floor, Crown Clown dispersing before she allowed sleep to claim her.

* * *

"I'm _not_ Allen."

The shadow of the Fourteenth, if possible, grinned wider at her from the window in the room she woke up in. _"Of course,"_ he replied. _"I see all that goes on around him through his eyes. However, recently, I've been able to see through your's too."_

"What? That has to be a mistake. I'm not Allen--"

_"Perhaps you aren't, but how do you know who you really are? Just yesterday, your hair was red and that scar was only fake. Just yesterday, you were a normal girl without the abnormal arm."_

Although she despised the dark, having been afraid of it since a young child, she allowed herself to sit on the edge of the bed in the room's darkness. "That doesn't mean anything, though. You and everyone else should not be reality. I shouldn't be here, like this."

_"Some things aren't meant to make sense. You think Allen completely understands why it was him I implanted my memories into? Who knows, maybe that God you Exorcists believe so much in couldn't find any other worthy to hold onto something so precious to his favorite?"_

Running her fingers over her black arm, she lightly shook her head. "What makes _me_ so worthy of Crown Clown? I'm just a normal school girl and Allen's..." She trailed off there. What was she supposed to say? What _was_ there about Allen that made himself so much above her, exactly? True, he was an Exorcist. True, he was wiser than her. But what exactly _was_ he, compared to her? Everything?

She wasn't exactly sure, honestly. Everyone had their own specialties; that's what she'd been taught growing up. It were words from her grandmother; words that their family cherished as much as Allen did with Mana's famous "keep walking".

_"Allen's...?"_

"He's just better than me, okay?" she finally told the shadow. "I'm not even supposed to be here. I know it. If God was really looking for a fan dedicated to this stuff, why choose _me_? What about all those girls who fight over him?"

_"Because God isn't sadistic. Honestly, child, do you think God was searching for a warrior or a pathetic comedy?"_

"But I'm not the warrior type!" She protested, "how am I supposed to save Akuma if I can't even save my homework from the neighbor's dog?" It'd been hectic that time the dog next door ate her homework, indeed. What other kid would take the remains and practically sob while insisting to their teacher that a dog ate their homework?

_"Believe what you want. You're as real as this world is now. You'll disappear along with the rest of civilization with time, but you wouldn't want your time to come too soon, would you?"_

She gritted her teeth, wanting to retort, but the door opened. Allen stood there, dazed as he saw her angrily glaring at a window, crossing her arms. Upon seeing him, however, she forced herself to calm and smile at him. "Good morning. I wasn't too much of a nuisance, was I?"

"...No." He paused. "Are you okay? You're glaring at a window."

So was he, in her defense. "Yeah. I take it windows annoy you, too?"

"I guess you could say that," he replied tonelessly, gently stepping inside and closing the door behind him. As though realizing then that the light was off, he flipped it on, making her grimace as her eyes adjusted to the light. "You okay?"

Immediately, she snapped her head away from the window to look at him. "Yes? Oh... yes, I am. Why do you ask?"

"You're sitting in the dark glaring at a window."

"Technically, so have you," she retorted, but her voice was even. However, she decided that it could have come across rude and immediately shook her head. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that..."

"No worries," he replied, taking a seat next to her. "But really, are you okay? With Crown Clown and... everything, I mean."

Honestly, she was still shocked at all of it. It just felt so _odd_. With her friends, they'd always joked about how they'd be so excited to pop up randomly in Katsura Hoshino's creation, but now that it'd really happened, it scared her. Would even Martha, who enjoyed to torment people through ways of pranks and jokes, find her situation enjoyable?

"Yeah... I guess." That last part was soft, but she didn't bother to correct it. Instead, she allowed her gaze to linger at the window, where the Fourteenth was grinning. His presence unnerved her. She'd always thought she understood how Allen felt, but didn't really until now.

If she even did yet, that is.

_"Allen's just jealous that Mattie wears his clothes better than him."_

The comment only made her fall off the bed. "What?" she cried out before she could stop herself. By then it was already too late; Allen was completely aware of the fact that she was capable of seeing and hearing the deceased Noah. "I appreciate the nickname, but... could you please not call me that?" Many people thought her distaste of "Mattie" was odd, but really, it was a matter of wanting her own identity. Lots of people had her name, and almost all of them she'd met in person were called that for short.

"You can hear him?" Allen asked her, astonished, "how?"

"Hear what?" she tried, but his frown signaled that he wasn't falling for it. "Well, you see, sound travels through the air and--"

"You know what I'm talking about."

Nervously, she drew her legs to her chest, hugging them and lying her chin on top of them as she stared at the floor. Swallowing a lump in her throat, she shook her head. 'It's... I mean... well..." She didn't know what to say, and instead ended up blurting out nonsensical phrases. Finally, unable to bear it anymore, she began to cry once more. "I just don't know. Leave me alone."

At first, the boy was motionless, as though surprised by her reaction, but then laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. "No, no! It's okay, Madelynn, really! I just... I'm the only one who should be able to see the Fourteenth."

His words weren't very comforting, and she continued to softly cry into her knees. Of course only he was supposed to see the Fourteenth, but why was it that she could see him too? Maybe it was because she knew he existed? But so did Lenalee and everyone else, so why wouldn't they be able to see him, too?

Blinking when she felt him wrap a blanket around her, she looked at him with teary eyes, only to see him smile softly before pushing her into the bed. "You should rest," he told her. "We can find out later."

She wanted to argue and insist on staying awake, but she was too tired to resist the urge to close her eyes. Nodding slowly, she reached forward, slipping her hand into his and squeezing it gently. He turned his head back to look at her, confusion written on his face.

"You won't tell anyone, right?"

She wasn't sure what she'd do if he did. Her chances of being executed were high, because she was still a complete stranger to the Order. Truthfully, she was ready to do anything in exchange for him not telling anyone.

But Allen only nodded. There was a softer look in his eyes than what she'd seen in the previous chapters. Where was she, in their timeline, anyway? They'd obviously moved to their new Headquarters, and Allen had already been told by Cross about the Fourteenth. Other than that, she had no idea, and didn't plan on asking, either. She'd already humiliated herself by putting her costume on, and she had no plans to worsen it by letting anyone else know what she'd told Komui.

"Don't worry," he assured her, standing back up and making his way to the door. Bidding her goodnight one last time, he shut the door silently, his footsteps padding quietly through the hall before he was too far away for her to hear them anymore. When she was certain she was at last alone, she removed her sore left arm, holding it in the moonlight so she could study its features.

Letting out a long sigh, she turned over, holding her hand against her as an effort to fall asleep. "I need my violin," she murmured softly, the words rolling off her tongue. "I'd play anything…"

"_My key?"_

The fact that a shadow was watching her was unnerving, probably the reason why she couldn't sleep. "Yeah, sure. As long as you actually put it in sheet music and not a bunch of lines."

There was a clapping noise from the mirror. _"Madelynn will learn eventually."_

"Not without sheet music," she murmured before drifting off to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Author's Note**_ - Here it is, chapter two! Thanks to everyone who read the first chapter and is coming back to read more. You have no idea how happy that makes me. Also, thanks again to everyone who reviewed, favorited, etc.

As a last note, for right now updates will come about bi-weekly. When we get into the summer, updates may quicken, but for now I make no promises.

**Disclaimer** - I don't own _D. Gray-Man_. All characters mentioned (save for Madelynn, obviously) are property of Katsura Hoshino.

* * *

It was about seven in the morning when she woke up the next day. She suppressed a moan that threatened to leak through her lips, forcing herself to sit up as she stretched her arms out wide as an effort to steer herself awake. Still halfway asleep, she dangled her legs above the floor, kicking them briefly before lying them hesitantly on the floor.

Something seemed off about the place. It had a familiar feel; one that she disliked very much and preferred never to face with again. Feeling a rare case of hunger, she began to search the edges of the room, searching for her bag that had the chips her mother had given her to pack.

As her eyes fell upon the mirror, however, she shrieked in horror, somehow managing to lose her balance and fall flat on her face as it connected with the rug. No matter how much she willed the image to disappear and return her own, she still saw the haunting image of… was that the Fourteenth?

Eyes widening upon remembrance of yesterday's events, she scrambled to her feet, making a beeline for the door and throwing it open. Her hand numbly slipped from the door handle as the surrounding people passing through the hall of the Black Order gave her weird looks. At first, she was confused, but then realized she had white hair and Allen's scar, as well as his own clothes.

After nervously backing into her room and silently shutting her door, she resisted the urge to pull at her hair, deciding to do another thorough check of her bag for any spare change of clothes. She'd already been aware it was to no avail, but maybe by some miracle she'd be able to get out of Allen's Exorcist attire. As she'd expected, she was left with nothing, and let out a sigh.

Mustering the courage, she slipped wordlessly into the hallway her room was located in and, very much aware of all the stares, chose a direction and began her search. She wasn't quite certain of what she was supposed to do, nor what she wanted to do.

Seeing all the stares made her wonder just how often new people came here. Surely, they were certain she was not Allen, as the few who'd almost mistaken her for him had realized their error and quickly took off down the hall. Must be the white hair, considering many of them came from behind and she was wearing different clothes than Allen…

"Mattie!"

She twitched at the nickname she'd deemed as "forbidden" long ago, but nevertheless still turned around. "Please don't call me that," she told Lavi as he caught up with her after weaving through the crowds, grinning as he panted.

"Why? It suits you."

"Because where I come from, there are a zillion other girls who go by that."

"Fine, fine." He gestured for her to follow. "C'mon. Everyone's waiting in the cafeteria and they're going to go nuts if I don't bring you soon."

Blinking when her stomach growled as if on cue, she trailed after the fellow Exorcist. Headquarters was a huge maze, it seemed; she easily lost track of all the turns they took, and was certain tonight she was going to be sleeping in a random hallway when she was left to fend for herself once again. Within minutes, however, she was led into the cafeteria, and Lavi stood with her in line.

"Jerry's the chef," he told her, his grin still having yet to waver. "Just say whatever you want, and he'll make it for you."

As she suspected, Jerry at first mistook her for Allen. However, upon explaining everything to him he welcomed her with open arms and – without even asking her how much she wanted – she was handed a huge tray of food. The entire way to the back table, Lavi laughed at her widened gaze. She didn't find it very funny, however, and was using the large mountain of food to her advantage, hiding behind it.

"How am I supposed to eat all of this, anyway?" She asked when the laughter at the table died down. "Last time I checked, _families_ shared turkey, not individuals—are these fish sticks?" All worries of leaving food to go to waste in the presence of Allen drained from her as she excitedly began to dig in. "_So_ much better than the box!"

"Think we found her favorite food," Lavi muttered, sweat dropping. She chose to ignore the comment, instead enjoying what she'd officially dubbed as the best fish sticks ever. In the end, everyone dipped into her turkey - Allen pretty much dominating most of it - but she didn't care. As long as no one touched her fish sticks, she was fine.

"So, Mattie--"

"_Madelynn_," she corrected, stressing her name for Allen.

"But Lavi said you preferred--"

"Call me Mattie and I'll call you bean sprout," she threatened. Either people stared in horror or scooted to the edge of their seats, likely eager to see the white-haired Exorcist kill her.

"Alright, but if you call me that _one time_, you'll be Mattie from now on."

Somehow, she didn't doubt his capabilities of following through with that. Hoping to change the subject, however, she asked curiously, "what are we doing today?" Noticing everyone's stares she slouched in her seat. "Sorry, I mean you guys..."

"You hear that, Allen?" Lavi exclaimed, "she said 'we'! She likes us! That has to be a new record! Usually, new Exorcists avoid us for days!"

Oh, how much she yearned to.

"Maybe we should work some more with her combat skills," Allen offered. "With no background with combating, we'll need to start training her right away."

"She needs a teacher," Lenalee told the group. "Someone who understands her Innocence really well."

Poor Allen looked up to find everyone looking at him, obviously deeming him as this new teacher. Had she not been the student in this case, and was instead reading this scene from the manga, she would've found the look on his face priceless. "Me? Why?"

The other experienced Exorcists gave him a look that clearly questioned his level of serious with his question. "You may not have noticed, stupid bean sprout, but you both have the same Innocence," Kanda pointed out before returning to slurping on his soba noodles.

"It's _Allen_!"

"It's okay," Madelynn murmured, not really wishing to fuel Allen's irritation any. "I'll figure it out. Like I figure out the fingering for my music."

"Alright." Lavi joked, "you can just experiment with Crown Belt and give us a holler if you get stuck up on the ceiling."

"Okay."

"Whoo!" Lavi exclaimed, "and if she gets stuck up there, we can take pictures!"

She paled.

* * *

"Really, Allen, I can figure out everything myself. You probably have a dozen other things to do, anyway."

He shook his head. "Not really." She could've sworn she heard him mutter darkly to himself, "because of the Fourteenth."

Seeing him glaring at the floor made her consider the option of taking a large step to the side. She'd already seen his outburst with Leverrier a few chapters ago, which resulted in the damage of a door, and honestly didn't really feel like being the target of his next. So, not really knowing if a complete stranger such as herself would be any help, she scooted away, studying the wall that had been behind her originally.

"You seem to be having trouble Invoking Crown Clown," Allen commented, pulling her thoughts back to the lesson at hand. Turning to face him, she obeyed as he sat on the ground, gesturing for her to come over and do the same. Ironically, sitting here, waiting for him to give her further instruction reminded her of her early childhood. Especially her kindergarten year, when the kids sat in a circle. "Mattie..."

Snapping back into focus at the nickname, she shook her head, blinking in confusion for a moment before she realized what he'd called her. "Hey! Don't call me that!"

"Sorry," he replied, clearly trying not to laugh, "you were spacing out."

"I _wasn't_ spacing out--"

"Yes, you were," he teased.

"Fine," she admitted, crossing her arms. "Maybe I was, but so were you."

He seemed to have disregarded her statement as he explained to her, "I talked with Lenalee, Lavi, and Kanda to see how they invoked. The four of us all think different things, it seems."

"So...?" she asked, trailing off to silently ask him to continue.

He shrugged. "Dunno, it depends. Was it hard the last time?"

"It just sort of... appeared," she told him, not really sure of how to explain it. "I remember not wanting to let everyone down and allow their efforts to go to waste." Mostly, she'd just been still trying to process the fact that she was trapped in this world. She still was, too. Would she ever return? There was no way she could possibly belong to this world. Why would God even choose _her_ anyway? If it was because she was a fan of this world, wasn't there other fans? She saw it in FanFiction all the time. People writing about themselves winding up here, in her place, and _enjoying_ it. So why not one of them?

"Madelynn," Allen told her, "I understand how you feel. We _all_ do. Part of an Exorcist is suspending the feeling of how unreal this is and coming to terms with ourselves. Can you do that?"

Nodding slowly, she closed her eyes, focusing hard. She'd been attempting to build a barrier between herself and everyone here. If she could suspend that wall, just this once, maybe she'd be able to figure out how to invoke Crown Clown.

But how could she do that?

'_Come on,_' she urged herself as a thought came to her. '_Innocence is smart... Crown Clown __**knows**__ that'd only be fake. I have to at least show that I am trying to break this barrier._' She had to do it. Otherwise she'd be defenseless against the Earl, Akuma, and Noah. Otherwise she'd never return home.

"Madelynn? Are you ok--" Allen was cut off, likely due to the wind cut out from him for a brief second, as she threw herself onto him. It was really embarrassing, but hey, all the other accommodators from her world in FanFiction would've had no problems doing it. She'd already been caught dressed exactly like him, so there was no other way she could die from embarrassment if she was still alive after that incident.

Nothing happened, though. So when her expectations didn't live to their full potential, she grew red, pushing him away. "S--Sorry!" she apologized, suddenly bowing deeply. Not for Japanese culture exactly; rather so she didn't have to see his expression. "It was really, really stupid and I have no idea why I even did that!"

"M--Madlelynn?" She didn't know it, but Allen was also red, but mostly more confused than anything else.

"Geez, I'm such an idiot! Who would know I'd even mess it up in a nonexistent world?!"

It took her a moment before she realized she'd yelled that last part aloud, making her clamp her hands over her mouth. "This is a nonexistent world?" She took a step back as Allen started the first of what was probably a long list of questions. "Madelynn..."

"It's nothing, really!" Madelynn assured him before attempting to make a dash for the door, only to be caught by his Crown Belt.

"Madelynn, where are you from? _Really_?"

"I can't tell you," she replied. "If I do, you wouldn't believe me. And you'd think I was an even bigger freak than you already do and--"

"You're _not_ a freak. A little suspicious, yes, but not a freak."

A tendril of his own Crown Clown brushed against her cheek, as though trying to offer comfort, and she felt the fabric of Crown Belt tighten around her wrist. _Go on,_ a voice urged in her head. She couldn't explain the feeling, but she knew it was Crown Clown. _Tell him..._

She couldn't.

_Tell him..._

He wouldn't believe her.

_Allen would..._

She wouldn't.

_You can trust him..._

"Fine!" Silently praying she was screaming somewhere in a random hall of the hotel and someone would wake her up, if she wasn't already in the hospital, she cried, "I'm not from here, okay? And not just from here, I mean from _here_, _here_. Where I'm from the closest you ever get to this world is an Anime convention! And Innocence to most people is just a characteristic and Noah's Ark is just a boat with a bunch of animals in it! Stop asking me questions already! I don't know how I got into a stupid book, okay?! I just want _out_ of it!"

She was huffing by the time he grasped her shoulders, giving her a quick jerk to make her stop. "Calm down," he said, his voice surprisingly soft. "It's going to be okay, alright? Here," he made her sit down, him following suit as Crown Belt unraveled itself, "tell me from the beginning."

"I've already told Komui, so you don't have to report anything." She thought hard for a moment, thinking over what she wanted to say. "Where I'm from is two hundred years in the future... but there, all of this is just a story."

"A story?"

She nodded. "Yes, and that's why I was dressed like... well..." blushing, she gestured to her - or rather, _his_ - clothing she was wearing, "this."

"So in this world you're from, we're not supposed to exist?"

"I guess," she murmured, slightly surprised he was handling all of this so well. "In a way, you technically still do... you're just characters from a book. A really good, addicting book."

"Do you dress as us everyday?"

"No." She explained, "there's a convention I went to before I ended up here, where people dress as characters from different series. My friends had a group for all of this and pretty much dragged me along." She scratched her head. "I was actually just trying to bring lunch back to everyone, and ended up walking right into the Ark on accident. It's already been investigated, and the door I came through is no longer connected."

He thought for a moment, making her believe he was attempting to digest all that she was saying. "So," he slyly asked her, seemingly out of curiosity, "which one of us is your favorite?"

"Kanda."

"What?!"

Sheepishly, she turned her head away, muttering, "...you." When he didn't answer, she flatly added, "hey, you asked. And that does _not_ give you permission to think of me as one of those fan girls fighting over you on the Internet. I am _not_ a stalker."

"What's the Internet?"

"Something from the future. Allows you to keep in touch with people rather than phone calls and mail. Look, I honestly can't explain it but, truthfully, you _don't_ want to go there."

"Why not? It's just the Internet."

How ironic, hearing that from someone who had no idea what the Internet even was.

"Yeah, well I said the same thing about the book you're from and _now_ look where I am. I'm probably laying somewhere in some random hallway, or maybe even a hospital. So that probably means you're all stuck with me until I wake up from a coma, unless you kick me out first."

"Out of curiosity, what makes me your favorite character?"

"You're different from other main characters," she told him, trying to pick out the things that were least embarrassing to admit. "Plus, I personally think Crown Clown blows _anything_ right out of the water, mostly because swords are way over-used. Then, of course, you had to just pull one out of nowhere. Which reminds me, where does you sleeve go when you activate Crown Clown? And your arm when you bring out your sword?"

"Never thought about it," he replied. Strangely, he was taking this all so well. "Wait, _I'm_ the main character?" She nodded. "How old are you, anyway? Lavi estimated that you were about thirteen, but I told him he was wrong, since you look younger than that--"

"_Younger_? I'm fifteen! C'mon, I'm not _that_ small!"

"That explains your maturity," he commented, rubbing the back of his head. "Sorry, Mattie--"

"_Madelynn_!"

"Hey, I'm your favorite character! Don't I get special privileges?"

"Yeah, and I'm your biggest fan, so I should be able to call you 'bean sprout'." She reddened as she realized what she'd just said. "No, no, I was being sarcastic! Dismiss that!"

Allen laughed, which surprised her. Shouldn't he be... well, the way he's been since his master told him about the Fourteenth? "Really, can I call you 'Mattie'?" He teased, "your name's too long."

"Your name's too _short_," she retorted. "Plus, now that you know where I'm truly from, whenever I say 'Allen' I feel like Road or some fan that surely would've glomped you by now."

"Glomped?"

"Teenage slang for giving someone an energetic hug with a running start." Recalling such an event in which she was the victim, she brushed invisible dust off her attire. "I was just a random cosplayer... the world would probably end if a convention ever found out you were the real Allen Walker."

"I'm no judge of cosplay, mostly because I have no clue what it is," he nodded approvingly, "but you _do_ look a lot like me. What made you want to dress as a boy, though?"

"I strongly dislike skirts and dresses," she replied. "Honestly, I don't really know why I was there. My group only dragged me so they could have an Allen cosplayer." From her spot on the ground, she lifted one of her legs, inspecting her cosplay boots. "I'm glad you klutz-proofed these boots. I haven't rolled my ankles at all for the past few days, which is a relief because I swear one of these days I'm going to break one of my ankles."

"Yeah, they're really comfortable, aren't they?" He inspected his own. "I'm pretty used to my new ones, though." He stood after a moment, extending his hand to her. "We should probably train now. Are you ready?"

* * *

She wasn't sure how long they'd been training, but was almost through. Her body felt twice as heavy, even though she was used to lugging Crown Clown around, and it was beginning to become hard to breathe from the excess workout. She couldn't even concentrate anymore, her declining focus making it impossible for her to react to Allen's next move.

Thankfully, it'd only been a light poke, but it still made her lose her balance and collapse onto the floor. She wasn't even good enough for well-packed punches yet, let alone combating against another Innocence. Planting her hands firmly on the ground, she attempted to push herself up, but found herself unable to and only gritted her teeth, pushing herself even more.

"Stop," Allen told her gently, his hand lightly pressing on her head until she gave in and let it lie on the floor once more. For a moment, the area was silent besides her rapid breathing, but as it started to return to normal, she felt him roll her over and lift her up gently. "Release your Innocence."

Doing as instructed, she immediately felt much lighter, however limp as well. Much to her embarrassment, she was forced to lie against him. "Sorry," she mumbled.

Allen stared at her in surprise. "_Sorry_? What for?" He grinned. "You had Crown Clown invoked for almost two hours. However," the grin disappeared, replacing itself with a strict, yet concerned, look, "you need to eat more. Not only does the length of time you invoke take energy, but also your activity. Everyone knows you're a Parasitic-type so they won't make fun of you, like me."

Nodding, she glanced down at the floor in shame. "Sorry."

"And you shouldn't always be so sorry. You won't know until you're taught, right? That's what I'm here for." Helping her back up onto her feet, he held her until she was steady. "Do you think you can walk?"

Nodding energetically, she took one step forward before slipping, hissing as she landed awkwardly on the floor. "That wasn't what you think," she told him. "I was just--"

"Being klutzy?"

"Hey, I didn't fall! I was testing the gravity." She crossed her arms, adding quietly before storming away as Allen gave her a look urging her to continue, "it still works."

She fell again when she heard him _laugh_. Ha, Allen Walker laughing at _her_. Wait, was this to be considered a compliment or insult? "That very well could've saved my life. What if a pie was about to hit me in the face? If that happens, I risk getting a piece of it stuck in my trachea."

"Trachea? This isn't another one of those future things like the Internet, is it?"

"...Allen, it's your wind pipe. You know, the thing that helps you breathe? Sits right next to your esophagus, the tube that carries food down to your stomach."

"What's school like, anyway?"

She grimaced, not really wishing to speak of it. "It's not exactly fun, seeing as you're supposed to learn. Education's thought to be very important where I come from."

Allen nodded, seeming to understand, before gently pulling her along. "Come on, Mattie," he turned his head to face her, offering her a goofy grin, "time to eat!"

Rolling her eyes in irritation, she snapped in response, "don't call me that, 'Sprout!"


	3. Chapter 3

_**Author's Note**_ - It's a little late, but nevertheless I bring you all the third chapter of Living Animation. Thank you to **Ozuchi-Kozuchi** for Beta-ing, and to everyone else for still sticking with me, and especially to those who've reviewed, favorited, and alerted. You guys rock!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _D. Gray-Man_ and its characters. Those are property of Katsura Hoshino.

* * *

Exactly three weeks later, Madelynn found herself wandering aimlessly through the Order's library, fingers brushing over the elegant and unfamiliar books as she read their titles. As she assumed, none of them were familiar to her, but if anything it just fueled her interest more, giving her an excuse to hide from the other members and avoid conversations. Occasionally scanning around for Allen, Lenalee, and Johnny - who she knew for a fact visited here at certain times - she easily spent her whole afternoon here.

In the midst of her surveying, she failed to notice someone approach her and wasn't aware of their presence until she felt someone gently tug at her wrist, pulling her back slightly. Shocked, she spun around; blinking as she realized it was Allen. "Good afternoon," she offered in a quiet voice, forcing a smile. Unfortunately, he didn't return the gesture.

"It's six, you know," he replied dryly, releasing his hold as he crossed his arms. "Aren't you hungry at all?"

As if on cue, and against her wishes, her stomach growled loudly. "I was reading a book."

"What book?" Allen challenged, crossing his arms.

"A really good book." She nervously pulled a random book off the shelf behind her when he passed her a disapproving look. "_Alice in Wonderland_." Mentally, she thanked Katsura for incorporating the all-so-known story into her own world. Still, she couldn't help but snort at the irony. Maybe she was just like Alice, trapped in a so-called 'wonderland'. Only difference was she wasn't talking to animals and arrived here through the Ark, not a rabbit hole.

"What's funny? I thought it was supposed to be a dark book."

"Back at home," she told him gently, forcing a small smile, "we had this story. It used to be my favorite as a kid, I remember. It's just weird," she paused for a moment, turning the book in her hands slowly, "it's the last thing I expected to make me feel better about anything."

Allen grabbed the book as she was about to put it back, pushing it against her. "You should keep it." He scratched his head as she stared at him in bewilderment. "I mean, you can probably relate to her, right? Maybe if you keep it, it'll remind you to keep walking."

Nodding, she smiled, this time for real. "Thanks." Securing the book under her arm, she held out her free hand. "I'm sorry. I've been pretty rude, ignoring you all like this."

It relieved her to see him smile and accept the gesture. "It's understandable. I mean, it's probably nerve-racking to be here, isn't it?"

"Kind of, but I think I'll be okay as long as I get food before I die of starvation."

Pulling her along, Allen turned his head to look at briefly to grin at her before teasing, "okay, Alice."

The joke didn't quite register itself in her head. "Huh? I'm Madelynn..." They were outside in the hall when she finally got it, and she laughed. "Oh. _Alice in Wonderland_. Haha, very funny, Allen."

"Mattie in Wonderland."

Unable to think of a good retort, she muttered, "fine, you win _this_ time, but only because you must've wasted a lot of time hunting me down."

"Not really. Quite a few people have been having double takes, trying to figure out how I can be at the library and cafeteria at the same time. You seem to be more comfortable here, though, so I'd consider that an accomplishment."

"Really?" Thinking back over the past few minutes, she finally understood what he was referring to. "Oh, I didn't even notice. Guess I'm not really having a heart attack whenever everyone talks to me."

Allen was quiet for a moment as they turned a corner. If she was correct, the cafeteria was after those huge doors at the end of the hall. He looked at her, curiosity written all over his face "Do you think of us as just characters?"

The question made her pause. "Well... I honestly did at first, but now I don't know. You're really the only person I've opened up to, and you're not what I expected you to be."

"What'd you expect me to be?"

"You seemed kind of different lately from where I was reading, in a more irritable kind of way. Maybe it was just because Leverrier was here, though." Smiling, she told him, "maybe I was just surprised because I didn't _really_ know you, and still don't. I mean, if you knew all the facts about a person, but never actually met them, could you really knew what they were like?"

"I guess." Allen replied,folding his arms behind his head. "Maybe I was just scared about the Fourteenth and didn't know how to deal with it at first. I was really confused about it all, and still am. And you can see him too, which only adds to it."

"Not everything is meant to be easy to understand in life, I think. At home, some events have occurred that not even adults who I look up to have answers for."

By the time she finished, they were up at the front of the line, ordering food. After Allen obtained his mountain of food, Jerry turned to her, frying pan in hand, and enthusiastically asked her, leaning through the window, "what would you like, honey? Let's see... Madelynn, was it?"

Smiling and nodding, Madelynn answered, "could I have some fish sticks, please? Oh, and a salad with lots of cucumbers?"

After she finished, Allen led her over to a table, somehow managing to return the wave his friends were giving him while maintaining a strong grip on his food. Amazed, she continued along at a much slower pace until Allen returned to kindly take the load from her hands to the only vacant spot that was at the end beside Lenalee. Smiling warmly, she sat down shyly, feeling a little better when Lenalee smiled.

"Hello, Madelynn."

Still not wanting everyone to know exactly where she was from, she pretended to have difficulty remembering the older teenager's name. "Hi... Lenalee, right?" Looking across, she noticed Miranda looking at her, smiling nervously. Assuming she was wanting to greet her as well, she offered a smile. "Hello, Miranda."

The woman blinked, and then Madelynn realized she had yet to meet the woman before. "W--We've met before?" Miranda cried out, clutching her head, "I'm so sorry! I should've remembered!"

"No, it's okay. We haven't met yet. I just know because..."

Great, she got herself into trouble _again_.

"I told her," Allen said, making her exhale with relief.

Nodding energetically, Madelynn added, "yeah! You're the one with Time Record, correct?"

"Say, Allen," Lavi asked, in which everyone replied to with eager silence, "where'd Link go?"

"I don't know. He said something about having a meeting."

Upon seeing everyone staring behind her, she turned, blinking as she saw Link standing directly behind her. Blinking at him questionably with a half eaten fish stick in her hand, the place grew quiet for a moment before the blonde-haired man gestured for her to stand.

"Leverrier wishes to speak with you at once. Please follow me."

She felt every muscle in her body freeze, but she moved mechanically, trailing after Link as he began to walk away from their table. Barely, she heard some of the other Exorcists call out her name, demanding explanations, but they seemed so far away suddenly. Her hands felt clammy, her heart had sped up, and her legs were beginning to shake.

"Am I being interrogated?" She asked as soon as they stopped in front of a door. It didn't seem plausible, as she'd only been here a few weeks. It was Leverrier, though, so maybe she was. What use would she be to him, however?

The Inspector never answered, though, and instead opened the door wide, guiding her inside before shutting it from the outside. Slowly stepping forward in the room, she saw Komui sitting on a couch, face expressionless, with Leverrier sitting in a chair sipping on what appeared to be tea with his back facing her. Gulping, she stepped further into the room.

"You needed me?" she hesitantly asked, flinching as Leverrier's head snapped back to look at her. There was a sneer on his face, but it curled upwards into a smile. She took a step back, uncertain of what to think.

"Madelynn Scott," Leverrier spoke innocently, but his tone was thick with scorn, "it's a pleasure to see you here, although you seem a bit shaken."

"How do you know my name?" She had never told anyone her last name, but was surprised and horrified to see him hold up her school ID. "Where'd you get that?"

"I'm the one asking questions here," he told her sternly, not even looking at her. "How recent is this?"

"Last fall, but what does that have to do with anything?"

"Quiet," he snapped. "As I told you before, _I'm_ the one asking questions around here, and right now I'd like to know what a fifteen-year-old is doing, dressed up as one of our own Exorcists and claiming she's from the year 2009."

She winced as he stood, hands clasped behind him as he paced the room. "Look, I didn't _mean _to get here, okay? Nor was I really hoping to end up like _this_." She gestured to herself.

She expected him to get angry with her remark, but instead he remained calm, continuing to sip his tea carefully. "If we're lucky, you may have already read ahead of where we are at right now. Do you know of the Earl's recent ambush against our former Headquarters?"

Nodding, she thought for a moment. Link was monitoring Allen, and from her last conversation with Allen she knew that Cross had already informed him of the Fourteenth...

"I only know up to where Timothy was recruited."

"We recruited him last week," Komui informed him. "So that means that she doesn't know anything about what will happen next to us."

Already, she knew his questions would revolve around Allen and the Fourteenth; she was, after all just a momentary tool in his eyes to be used to obtain the information he was seeking. She wouldn't allow it, though. It was Allen's own choice whether or not anyone learned of such things. As it was it already felt wrong to her, knowing all these things. It wasn't _her_ fault she knew part of his past that he had never intended to spill out to anyone else, but it still felt to her as though she'd pried through his past without permission.

And no matter how much she tried to tell herself different, she was still a thief; a liar. Had she told more lies in her time here than actually speaking the truth? And easily half of those lies were to herself, above anyone else.

"Perhaps she knows more about the Fourteenth as a reader than we do?"

"No, I don't," she replied evenly.

"That's a little hard to believe. I've been told by many that you've spent a great amount your time here with him."

"He has a _name_, you know," she defended. Truthfully, she wasn't quite certain why she'd reacted like this; she should've expected it, anyways. It didn't matter now, though. "I'm _sorry_ you're driving yourself as well as everyone else here insane, thinking he's going to turn on us all in a split second, slicing our heads off one-by-one. However, it's not _my_ place to tell you such things."

"What was that?" She gasped as she found herself backhanded by the man, thrown to the ground, rubbing her cheek as Leverrier advanced towards her. "I'll be nice and give you another chance, Scott. Now, what do you know about the Fourteenth?"

Again, she found herself incapable of betraying said Exorcist's trust. Likely, he didn't trust her, but she wasn't about to score herself a chance to be on his bad side, either. "If you're so interested, why not ask him yourself instead of using _me_? I don't know anything about him."

Goodness. What was she even _doing_? For Pete's sake, this man could probably harm her. It didn't even matter that she was an accommodator; she was a pretty useless one. She was smart enough to see Leverrier's fury and know he was going to assault her again, leading her to making a dive for his leg and cling to it like a child.

"Get off!" he roared angrily, attempting to shake her off his leg, but only making her hold on tighter for dear life.

"No!" she cried. "You'll hit me again, and my face already hurts and you made it worse by hitting me!" Truthfully, she did wonder how often Allen's eye bothered her, because this was her third time this week in which it throbbed.

Komui had been caught off guard, thus why he was standing there with a dazed look on his face. He snapped back into reality, however, as Leverrier yelled, "what are you doing?! Get her off!"

She was quite amazed that she was causing such a hard-faced man so much trouble, but she didn't allow it to cloud her judgment as she held on tighter, ignoring the world around her as various hands attempted to pry her from the Inspector's leg. Terrified half to death, she only perked up when she heard the door open and a low growl come from the entrance. When she cracked her eyes open, Allen was standing there, obviously disapproving the scene unfolding in front of him.

"Madelynn," he told her, voice neutral, "just let go."

As soon as she did so, she raced for the exit, nearly mowing Allen Walker down for the second time in her life in her haste to escape. She tore through the crowded hallways, ignoring everyone, until she came upon her room. Slamming the door shut and locking it, she hid herself inside her bare closet, pushing herself up tightly against the wall off to the side. There was a vacant box she'd never quite been able to comprehend for its usage that she had in front of herself. Lying low against the floor, she didn't even try to stop herself from shaking as she tried to hide from the world around her.

"Madelynn? Are you in here?"

Allen's voice was muffled, but she kept quiet. Maybe if she said nothing, he'd think she was off someplace else and would go searching elsewhere for her. It really confused her to no end why he would feel such a need to care for someone always pushing him away. Her high hopes shattered like glass when, after a few seconds of soft picking, she heard her door open and him step into the room, beginning his search. She held her breath, not daring to let herself make a noise, until he glanced in her closet and easily caught sight of her.

"Madelynn?"

"I'm _not_ going out there," she told him flatly. "I'd rather by hung by my toes." After a few moments, just when he opened his mouth to speak, she blurted out, "how'd you break in here, anyway?"

"I picked the lock with Crown Clown," he replied, pausing for a moment as he lowered to his knees. "And I'm not making you go out there. Leverrier's leaving, anyway. Will you please come out here and talk to me?"

Letting out a long sigh, she pushed the box away, shaking her head as Allen stood and tried to offer his hand to help her up. Sitting herself on her bed, she numbly stared at the mirror where the Fourteenth was grinning at her, Allen sitting beside her gently. "What do you want?" she asked when moments passed by and he had yet to say anything. Much to her confusion, however, he leaned closer.

"You're bruised," he pointed out, gesturing to her swelling cheek where she'd been hit. "Did Leverrier physically harm you, Mattie?"

"_Madelynn_," she corrected, annoyed. When Allen's eyes narrowed, obviously disliking her lack of a proper answer, she returned the cold gaze. "I can take care of myself just fine," she defended herself. "In this case, it's best that you _don't_ get involved."

While it was true she'd said that partially out of pure instinct, there was at least some logical sense to it. The last person who needed to get involved in this would be Allen, since it was him she'd practically been interrogated for. She was left confused, and partially startled, however when he stood and stalked away from her towards the door.

"Fine." Without turning his head to look at her, he informed her, "since you're okay with isolating and keeping this to yourself, I see that my work here is done." And then he wordlessly slipped out of the door, closing it on his way out.

Her eyes were glued to the door for a while, too shocked to even think. After a while of processing, she huffed deeply, flopping back against the covers of her bed furiously and crossing her arms. It was several minutes before she gloomily rose back onto her feet, ignoring the grinning reflection of the Fourteenth as she made her way to the door and out into the hall, hoping that Allen hadn't gotten too far.

"He probably hates my guts now," she mumbled to herself as she began her search. As much as she hated to admit the truth, it was probably her fault anyway.

* * *

She wasn't even sure what time it was anymore.

It was late; she knew that much. By now, most of the Order's inhabitants had retired to their rooms for the night. The silence allowed her to think much deeper, more clearly. She knew that if she returned to her room, however, that the Fourteenth would speak to her; of course, he was there when she occasionally passed by a window, but for the most part she worked to avoid them.

She'd never found Allen. All the faces she'd seen were strangers to her. Some of them had been gossiping about her again, but she was used to it now. It seemed that, for the most part, her presence was still a mystery to everyone. Many questions were floating about who she really was, along with rumors. The rumors ranged from her being related to Allen to her stealing Crown Clown from him on purpose.

Heh, if only it really _had_ been a choice. Then she wouldn't be here, walking barefoot through a random hall of the Order, mentally killing herself for her previous behavior. Allen probably _did_ hate her now.

"Idiot," she muttered as she laid her forehead against the glass of the window, attempting to soothe her throbbing forehead. In her fret about Allen hating her, she hadn't realized she'd led herself back to a line of windows until she felt the Fourteenth's strong presence.

It was quite pathetic to admit, but she really was alone now. Unless you could count the Fourteenth, but she had doubts of him actually feeling a need to befriend anyone. As it was, he didn't even seem to know if she was another one of his hosts or not.

"Madelynn?"

Jumping at the sudden voice, she winced as her forehead struck the glass, making her hiss in pain. She staggered for a moment, cursing herself for her mishap before managing to recompose herself and look at the newcomer. As expected it was Allen; however, all words she'd planned before when she finally found him died in her throat.

"Good evening," she greeted politely, pausing for a moment before correcting, "wait, it's after midnight… that'd make it morning, wouldn't it?"

"It's three in the morning," he informed her. "Any reason why you're up?"

She shrugged. "Thinking, I guess." After a moment, she explained, "I was actually kind of looking for you, but that obviously didn't work as usual."

He was bewildered. "You've tried to find me before?"

"No, I've tried to find others before, but it's never worked because people are too tall." Blinking when she heard him laugh, she attempted to clarify, "wait, aren't you _mad_ at me?"

"Well…" he reddened, "after I left I realized I over-reacted and came back to apologize, but you were gone."

"Nah, I'm also at fault," she told him in response. "I tend to get crabby before I have migraines. I really need to work on that…"

"You get migraines?"

Nodding, Madelynn told him, "I don't get them very often, though." She winced in pain. "But when I do, they're pretty intense."

Allen smiled before guiding her in a direction away from where she'd come from. "Come on; let's get a hot pack for you, unless you prefer cold packs. What do you normally do when you get migraines?"

She shrugged. "Dunno, it depends. When I get migraines, I'm sensitive to certain noises so I stay in my room with one of those packs doing something quiet and easy like reading." That was exactly why she was barefoot; her boots had been making her migraine worse.

They traveled a farther distance then she'd gone since her time here, and as they entered the room, she realized it was the infirmary. She recognized the Head Nurse immediately as she approached them.

"What's the problem?" she asked, not unkindly.

"She's having a migraine," Allen informed her politely. "Would it be alright if she got a cold pack or hot pack?"

"I'm out of cold packs at the moment," Head Nurse replied, gesturing for Madelynn to follow as she stepped away, opening up a cabinet. She was handed an empty pack. "Take that to the kitchen and boil some water to put in there. How often do you get migraines… Madelynn, correct?"

"Yes," she replied with a nod. "I only get migraines once in a while."

Once she was dismissed, she began her walk to the cafeteria. She barely took a few steps before Allen tapped her on the shoulder. "Cafeteria's that way," he told her, pointing in said direction. When she frowned, certain she was going to get lost, he grinned. "Come on, Mattie, I'll show you the way."

Annoyed, she forced herself to smile. "Thank you, beanie." He twitched.

"_Beanie_? I thought you said my name was too short," he remarked.

Having no retort to that, she didn't say anything for a moment. The silence got really awkward, though, so she attempted to start a conversation. "Will you be okay?" He blinked, and she realized that her question had been unclear. "I mean, Link's supposed to monitor you, isn't he?"

"Sometimes I sneak out at night to come out here and think," he told her with a shrug. "Link's a heavy sleeper, so he never knows as long as I return before he wakes up." He tugged on her arm, not too hard but hard enough to catch her attention. "Don't tell anyone though, okay?"

"I had no intentions," she replied. "Why would I do that, anyway?"

Allen never replied to that, and about that time they'd arrived at their destination, so she let it slide. The two of them started their task right away, finishing it in about five minutes. "How do you know so much about migraines?" she asked him as they were exiting the kitchen.

"Mana had migraines too," he replied simply. "He didn't have them very often, though, which is good. If he did, he probably wouldn't be able to travel as much as he did."

"Oh."

"How much do know about Mana and I?"

She gave a shrug in response. "I don't know." She thought for a moment. "I know how you got cursed, how you met Mana, and other tidbits about you two, but that's all."

"Wow," he muttered, "so you know pretty much _everything_."

"I'm _not_ going to tell anyone," she assured him. "Who could I tell anyway?" Realizing she'd asked a stupid question, she shook her head. "Okay, so I could tell _a lot_ of people, but I won't. Besides, if I did, I would've just wasted my time clinging to Leverrier's leg and hiding behind a box in a closet."

"You'd be surprised at what people do."

"It's easier to fear than to trust."

"Eh?"

She hadn't been intending to say that, but she continued anyway. "It's what my mother and grandmother say. It means that it takes no effort to fear a person for what they may do or say, than to trust them."

"Maybe."

Seeing him stop, she paused for a moment. "Why are we stopping?"

In response, Allen chuckled. "This is your dorm."

Growing red, she replied quietly, "oh." Offering a smile, she turned and opened her door, about to go in when she felt him tug on her arm gently. "Yes?"

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Of course," she replied. "It's just a migraine. It'll go away after a while and I'll be okay."

"I was talking about your bruise," he responded gently. "It looks kind of painful…"

Truthfully, her whole left face was hurting from Allen's – or, rather, _her_ scar. Therefore, at the moment she really didn't feel specific pain. Maybe her bruise was hurting, but even if it was, there was no way she'd feel it. Even then, she wasn't the kind of person who was open about their pain, so she only shook it off.

"Oh, really? I can't even tell it's there." Technically, she wasn't lying.

"Maybe you just look in pain because of your migraine," he stated, mostly to himself. "I'd better go, though. Link will wake up in a few hours, probably. He'd kill me if he ever found out I was out here without him."

She stood halfway in the doorway, watching him walk away back to wherever it was his room was at before calling out to him once more. When he stopped, cocking his head back, she smiled. "Your secrets are safe with me."

"Just don't kill yourself over it. If they want to think a certain way, let them." He paused to glance at her and offer a grin. "As long as _I_ understand myself and Mana it's okay, right?"

No, it wasn't. It wasn't anyone's business. Since when did people need to know every aspect of a person? It was uncalled for, in her opinion. Granted, it probably wasn't wanted, nor was it needed.

Humans could be stupid sometimes.

And she wanted to say that aloud, but knew better. Such a Noah comment…

"Don't worry what people think," she tried instead, "because they don't think much anyway as it is."

He laughed.

She'd been serious. 


	4. Chapter 4

_**Author's Note**_ - Hello, everyone! This is about the point in which the storyline begins to pick up a little. Thank you to everyone who's taken interest. I hope you all enjoy.

**Disclaimer - **I do not own _D. Gray-Man_. All characters, aside from Madelynn of course, are property of Katsura Hoshino. However, I'm assuming you all know this.

* * *

"It's been two months _already_?"

Allen nodded in response to her question, snickering at the fact that noodles were hanging out of her mouth as she was staring at him in surprise. "I told you time goes by fast when you're training."

It certainly did. That would mean that for the past five weeks she'd been doing nothing but training and eating. It made her even more exhausted to think about it, causing a momentary distraction until Allen tapped on her shoulder to grab her attention once more.

"I have nothing left to teach you," he paused here to hold up his hands to silence her as she tried to argue his statement, "because now all you need is experience."

"Experience?" she repeated in a questioning manner.

"Part of being a good Exorcist is having plenty of experience. Therefore, from now on we'll be taking on level one Akuma."

"_Akuma_?" She'd always expected this day to come, but she hadn't expected it this soon. "I can't take on Akuma—"

"Yes, you can," he encouraged. As though sensing her disagreement, however, he smiled softly. "Madelynn, you're progressing very well. The only way you'll continue to progress now, however, is by fighting Akuma."

"Okay, if you say so…"

She yelped in surprise when Allen sprung to his feet, practically dragging her to wherever. Deciding that there really was no stopping him, she stumbled to catch up with him for a few seconds before she finally gained her balance. Link trailed after them, hurrying to catch up with his notebook he'd been using to jot down notes, an irritated look on his face. In a few minutes, they came upon a door, which Allen opened and held open for her to step through. As she entered, she recognized it to be Komui's office.

"You're done already?" Komui asked them, a hint of surprise in his tone, as he fixed his crooked glasses. As Allen was discussing something with Komui, she moved across the room to where Johnny was smiling warmly at her, an outfit in his hands.

"What's that?" she asked him curiously, fixing her eyes on it as she sat on the floor next to him. Johnny grinned proudly at her.

"It's your uniform!" he exclaimed excitedly, immediately shoving the clothes into her hands. Assuming he was anxious to see her in it, she glanced around, uncertain of where to go to change.

"Oh!" Lenalee's voice entered her ears, making Madelynn spin around to find her standing behind her. "Sorry, I just came in. Would you like me to show you to the restrooms? There's one just down the hall."

"Were you delivering coffee?" Madelynn asked as they were weaving in and out of the groups of people going about their daily lives, hoping to start a conversation. Lenalee smiled at her, nodding enthusiastically.

"You should help out sometime," Lenalee offered. "You know, so we can do something together. We're only a year apart, after all."

"Sounds like fun," she replied, smiling before stepping into the bathroom and closing the door behind her. Much to her disdain, her attire turned out to be exactly like her cosplay outfit, only it was red and adorned the newest "editions" as the current outfits. The only thing different was that she was now wearing a pair of red capris.

"Wait," Lenalee said, grabbing her arm and dragging her to a different direction than Komui's office. "Doesn't it annoy you to have all that long hair in your face?"

It was only then that she realized the length of her hair – now longer than before – _was_, in fact, really annoying. Back at home, she usually held back part of the sides of her hair in order to keep it out of her face. Her bangs, too, were quite annoying.

"Umm," here, Madelynn paused, "I guess so. I haven't really thought of it…"

When they arrived at their destination, which turned out to be Lenalee's room, Madelynn uncomfortably seated herself on the bed like she was told. Lenalee sat behind her on her knees, brushing her hair with a comb, a large box of what looked to be hair pieces beside her.

"I've been collecting hair pieces for a while now," she told her with a smile. "If I give you an idea for a hairstyle, will you consider it?"

"I guess," she replied. "I'm not very good with doing my hair…"

"If it's good, I'll teach you." Lenalee set the brush down. "Oh, you can keep this brush. I've never used it."

It'd been a little surprising to see Lenalee attending to her hair. She must've forgotten that although she'd been practically raised to be an Exorcist, she was still a teenage girl underneath. Did she always play with others' hair like this? Maybe she gave Miranda the idea for her hairstyle.

"We're done?" Madelynn asked when Lenalee hopped off the bed, excitedly pulling her up.

"It looks cute on you, Madelynn!" Lenalee positioned her in front of the mirror, allowing her to see the finishing product. "You should keep it!"

Her locks had been curled into the famous ringlet style. A thin blue cloth-like material was wrapped in the back of her hair, serving as a decoration. Her long bangs had been curled into ringlets as well and were parted off to the side.

"Thank you," she finally replied, turning to look at Lenalee and smile at her. Fingering the cloth tied to the back of her head, she asked curiously, "what's this called?"

"I don't know. I got it a few years ago in another country. Go ahead and keep it."

"Are you sure?"

Lenalee nodded and the two made their way back to Komui's office. As she stepped inside, all activity in the room stopped, making her freeze. Reddening, she made a move to stand back, but Allen took a few steps forward.

"Oh, it's you, Mattie!"

She blinked in response before snapping at him, "_Madelynn_!"

"Boy, you really _weren't_ kiddin'!" Lavi exclaimed, "with that tone, she could _kill_ you!"

Johnny approached her, making it impossible to retort to Lavi's statement. "How does it fit? I believe I got everything from Allen's that you wanted."

Had she been eating something, she probably would've choked. "_I wanted_? What do you mean?"

Johnny's bewildered expression only made her even more confused. "Didn't you tell Lavi you wanted Allen's same style?"

"_Lavi_!"

Madelynn laughed nervously, waving her hands in attempts to prevent Allen from tearing the red-haired Exorcist apart. "It's okay. One of these days we'll find something I can't steal from you!"

Everyone laughed, which made her crestfallen. She hadn't been intending to make it a joke. She tore her gaze away from the floor when she felt someone patting her on the head, finding it to be Allen. He smiled. "Hey, have more confidence in yourself. Why are you so afraid of what you wear? We _all_ look the same."

"Well, to start with," she replied quietly, "you're not the jolliest person when you're annoyed or angry."

She shouldn't have said that. Most of the inhabitants of the room immediately jumped on Allen.

"You yelled at her?"

"What's your problem?"

"He didn't yell at me!" she cried, dragging Lavi away from Allen to separate them. "Everyone just keeps saying that in the hallways, saying… well, a lot."

"A lot of rumors spread in the Order," Lenalee told her, surprisingly not outraged. "Believe me, Madelynn, Allen's a really good person. He'd never yell at you."

"I know that." Seeing everyone blinking once more, she slapped her forehead. She'd done it _again_. "Sorry, I meant '_see_'. I see that."

"Anyway," Allen spoke, likely to help ease her out of the situation, "we'd better get going. Are you ready, Mattie?"

She frowned at him, but nevertheless nodded. Johnny approached them, carrying a pair of boots and gloves in his hands. "Before you go," he told her, passing them onto her, "these will be your boots and gloves. Make sure you wear these clothes instead of your… cosplay, was it?"

She nodded. "I'll make sure, Johnny."

"Stay safe, okay Madelynn?" Lenalee reassured her with a smile, "don't worry, Allen's an excellent Exorcist. He'll make sure you come home."

She already knew.

* * *

"Where _are_ we?"

The pair of Exorcists was currently in a forest of trees, dodging thorns and roots and anything else that blocked their path. Who even put a church in the middle of nowhere, anyway? There wasn't even a hint of civilization.

"Somewhere in France," Allen replied. Link, seemingly unaccounted before, was trailing after them. Oddly enough, Allen seemed less tense now that he was out of the Order and occupied with something else. Maybe it was because of all the gossip? It was quite a pitiful sight to see matured adults gossiping more than her school of teenagers ages fourteen through eighteen.

"France?" she repeated. Of course she'd expected to be in different countries she'd never dreamed of visiting in her lifetime, but it was still quite mind-blowing. Back at home it would take hours to get to places the Exorcists could arrive at in just minutes.

"See that town there?" Following his finger, she nodded as she took note of the small town below them from the cliffs that they were standing on. "That's where we found you."

Surveying the town, she finally replied when she couldn't familiarize herself with it, "really?"

Allen nodded, and when she looked his way, she blinked to find him smiling warmly at her. Giving in, she returned the gesture briefly before there was a sharp pain in her left eye, making her wince and step backwards in shock. She ended up taking a misstep on a small rock; however, making her foot slide and lose her balance but Allen caught her in time, helping her stabilize herself.

"You okay?"

"I think," she replied. The throbbing pain returned soon enough, however, making her grasp at her eye. She refused to allow the pain get the best of her, however, and stood her ground. "Is the Akuma that way?" she asked, pointing to where she felt a strong, unfamiliar vibe that at the same time reminded her of Akuma.

"Before you go," Allen told her gently, but his eyes were glazed over with stern, "you need to know something. Out there when you are in combat, you _can't_ hesitate. You've gotten better at deciding quickly, but remember that those who oppose Exorcists won't heed their chance to get you when you hesitate."

She'd been hesitating? Why hadn't he told her _before_? There was no way she'd be able to correct her bad habit now. She paled, taking a step back. No, she couldn't do this. She was going to die. Before she knew it, she was being dragged towards the Akuma, despite her protests.

"I can't go up against _that_!" She tore her arm from Allen's grasp, preparing to dash away if need be. "How can you expect someone like me to go up against Akuma?" Feeling someone grip her shoulders gently made her stop and focus in front of her, blinking when she noticed Allen was smiling at her.

"All you have to do is keep your eyes on your target, okay? We'll protect you."

Nodding slowly, she took a deep breath and pressed forward away from the town, cautiously making her way to where the Akuma was located. She followed suit as Allen invoked Crown Clown, ignoring the fluff as it curled around her protectively. Truthfully, she _still_ found herself ridiculous this way. Now wasn't the time for denials, however.

All of this was still a dream to her. Every night, she would go to sleep praying that she would finally wake up, but she would still be in this same scenario when she awoke that next morning. Dreams don't hurt, right? So if she felt pain at all, that would prove all of this was real, wouldn't it?

The Akuma was larger than she'd assumed it would be based off the manga. It loomed a few feet from the forest floor, but its massive size was unimaginable. She would've frozen in freight, but the Akuma had already noticed her from above and shot a line of bullets her way. She shut her eyes tightly, tearing her gaze away from the demon as she attempted to make herself smaller. When she opened her eyes, surprised that she felt no pain, Crown Clown had shielded her with its cloak. Allen and Link were nowhere to be found.

She panicked. Upon noticing the level one Akuma advancing towards her, she broke into a run. Dust clouded her quickly, rising from the impact of the shower of bullets. One impact sent her flying forward, throwing her harshly onto the ground. She gasped in pain, rubbing her shoulder. When she pulled her hand back, she was surprised to find blood staining her gloves.

That had to prove everything was real, didn't it? Her body was aching, and she was _bleeding_. Everything appeared so real now; none of it had that "animated" feel to it. Even Crown Clown was real.

"Mattie!"

Allen's voice brought her back to the present, but by then it was too late. The Akuma was in front of her, pointing its barrel right at her head. Was she really going to die?

A familiar sword sawed the deadly being in half before it could fire, however. As it exploded and nearly threw her back once again, she saw Allen standing there. The smile slipped from his face as she began to shake. He stepped forward, laying a hand on her shoulder.

"Th—This is _real_?" she said shakily, taking a step back. "That makes no sense! We're not even from the same place! If you're real, does that still make _me_ real?"

"Of course you're real," he replied, gripping her shoulders. "We're _both_ real. We think and we feel. Isn't that enough evidence right there?"

"No," she replied. "How does that prove _anything_? Alice thinks and feels and she's a two-dimensional character!"

"Madelynn," he said, shocking her. Had he just used her name? "Listen to me. We'll never get _anywhere_ trying to decide what is real and what isn't. We're _both_ here, alive, and that's all that matters. So for now, let's forget about all of that, okay?"

In truth, she wasn't certain _what_ to think. What was she supposed to do from here? Should she become an Exorcist? Should she run? What if she was stuck here now and there was no way back home? Was she really going to be trapped here for the rest of her miserable life? It was pointless to run at this point. Where on Earth would she go?

"You don't have to cry, though!" Allen added, shattering her thoughts, "you're okay."

Okay? How could someone possibly get dumped into a completely different world alone and be _okay_? "I… I just want to go home," she croaked, shoulders shaking. She couldn't cry again. Not in front of an Exorcist, at least.

"And you will," he replied comfortingly. He opened his mouth, about to say something else when his eye activated, along with her own, making him stiffen.

"Walker!" Link yelled out, gripping the man by the arm. One stern look was all it took for Allen to understand.

"Don't wait for the Akuma to make its first move," he instructed her, "but don't also expect it to let you take it down too easily."

She nodded, this time with more determination. "Understood." Another Akuma arrived, exactly the same as the first, but this time she noticed the soul. She froze as the soul's cries filled her ears, eyes wide in freight. She'd known it wasn't a pleasant sight, but to think it was this horrid; it was inhuman. Somehow, she finally understood why Allen truly felt a need to save them.

"Mattie!"

The Akuma had made its move. Bullets were sailing her way, but this time she was ready. Diving to the side, she broke into a run, using the trees for cover, hoping to make it more difficult for the Akuma to target her, but it didn't work as well as she'd planned. A bullet was fired directly at her, but she didn't see it in time. Allen knocked himself into her smaller frame, throwing the two of them a few feet away.

"I'm going to distract it from the front," Allen told her. "I want you to go catch it from surprise in the back, okay?"

Traveling to the back, she hesitantly approached the Akuma, expecting the thing to notice her presence. How was she supposed to destroy it, anyway? Slowly she raised her hand, shutting her eyes tightly, and slashing the area in front of her. The Akuma screamed in pain, making her cringe, and instantly spun around, trying to bat her away with the barrel of its gun. Ducking, Crown Clown struck the demon, the fabric slicing straight through it and making it explode.

As the smoke was settling, she stood up once again. Glancing over her shoulder, she smiled.

"Thanks."


	5. Chapter 5

_**Author's Note**_ - I want to thank everyone for their support. It's so heartwarming to see people favorite, alert, and review this. All your feedback is very much appreciated.

**Disclaimer** - I don't own _D. Gray-Man_. That, and its characters, belong to Katsura Hoshino. I do, however, claim ownage of Madelynn, though.

* * *

"The wound was only minor, but be sure to take it easy for today and give it a chance to heal on its own. That means no training."

Madelynn nodded in response to the Head Nurse's statement, hopping off of the bed and making her way over to where the chairs that Allen and Link were occupying were. She smiled, hoping to ease Allen's guilt if possible, but it was still there.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled. "I should've been a better teacher. I should've…"

"You shouldn't have done _anything_ different," she replied gently. "It doesn't even hurt anymore. So let's just forget about it and move on, okay?"

Lenalee burst into the room, seemingly out of breath, with Lavi behind her. "Madelynn, are you okay? We heard you ran into two Akuma!"

Madelynn nodded energetically. "Allen helped me." She smiled. "He's a good teacher."

At this, Lenalee breathed a sigh of relief, Lavi strolling over and slapping Allen on the back. "Good job, buddy! We knew you could do it."

Allen was still frowning, however. "I couldn't protect her," he replied glumly. "If I can't protect her from a level one, how am I going to train her with stronger Akuma?"

After hearing this, Madelynn spun around to look at him, her eyes narrowing. "Would you please just stop _blaming_ yourself, already?" It was hard to hold back her anger, because she could see his stand point. At the same time, it was infuriating to see him like this. Her own friends back at home were probably thinking she was _dead_ by now, and no doubt blaming themselves. Compared to them, it seemed that he had no right to complain.

Stepping outside, she decided to find other things to occupy her mind with. To begin, she began walking around the Order aimlessly. Now that she'd been here for a while, she wasn't too scared about getting lost anymore.

At first, her wandering was uneventful, but eventually she came to uncharted area. Unfortunately, it led her to a different room that seemed to have a purpose for training, and Kanda was inside meditating. She froze, slowly attempting to slip out the door before he noticed her but that proved to be useless as he cracked open an eye.

"Could you be any louder?" Kanda asked, irritated. She thought over her answer carefully.

"Perhaps… if I intended to be."

"Get out."

She didn't need to be told twice.

* * *

The next day Madelynn came to the spot where she was always trained by Allen, nine in the morning as usual. Allen wasn't there when she arrived, so she sat in the center of the room. Her hand was fully flexible now, so there was no need to stretch it while she waited anymore. The Head Nurse had said it was because she forced it more than she should have, hence why it sometimes still hurt.

Now that she thought about it, her left arm and hand didn't even faze her anymore. Maybe the abnormality of everything had finally knotted itself in her head so many times that it felt like complete reality. Or maybe reality didn't exist to her anymore. She'd cross that boundary just by walking into this war.

Her train of thought crashed as she felt something poking her back. It didn't hurt, but it tickled her, thus making her laugh but at the same time spring to her feet. Whipping around to see who had done it, she stared blankly at Allen, who was grinning at her, waving at her with his claw.

"How are you feeling?"

She smiled. "It's not sore anymore."

"That's good. We can train then." After Allen spoke, she heard someone enter the room and turned curiously. It couldn't be Link, because he was against the wall in front of her. She blinked as she saw who it was, waving at her with a grin twice as big as Allen's had been.

"Lavi?"

Ecstatically, Lavi threw his arms up in the air, cheering, "yay! The new Exorcist remembers me!"

He still had no clue about being part of a book, so Madelynn simply replied, "I tend to remember those who torment me, and if I remember correctly, you humiliated me by telling Johnny I wanted an outfit exactly like the one Allen wanted when you were all dumped into the Ark."

"How'd you know about that?"

She froze. How many times was she going to almost blow her cover? Even Allen didn't seem to know how to get her out of this one, because he remained silent.

"Well…" she lied, "Lenalee told me."

"How much longer are you going to make me wait?" Lavi told them, "I know you both are hiding something. I have sharp eye sight, so I noticed right away that you were lying that first time you sat in Komui's office. You must've told Allen, because he's lying too for you, and Link must know as well otherwise he'd be demanding answers."

Madelynn sighed, but otherwise didn't attempt to tell him different. Lavi was right, after all and did have a point. He already knew she was lying to him and everyone else. Turning, she looked at Allen, and didn't have to say anything because he knew exactly what she wished to ask. He nodded with a small smile.

"I'm not from this world," she told Lavi. "I'm from another one, but to the people there this is just a story."

"Whoa, really? And Allen's not freaked out at all by this?"

Allen shrugged in response to Lavi's question. "I've wondered if it's worth it to continue fighting if we're protecting nothing, but that's about all I guess…"

"What?" Madelynn exclaimed, gripping the younger boy by his shoulders. "You can't think that way! In what context did I say this _wasn't_ a world?" She glanced at the ground, and her grip loosened on him, but she still refused to let go. "Okay, so I thought at first that this wasn't a world, but I was wrong. What evidence do we have that all of this is fake? For all we know, _I_ could be the one who's fake."

Crying out as she felt someone lightly hit her shoulder, she glared at Lavi, who grinned at her in return. "Nah, you're not a fake human, otherwise that probably wouldn't have hurt." Here, he paused, seeing the error in his words long before she did. "Well, actually that's incorrect, seeing how Akuma _can_ feel and they're not human."

"I think what Lavi means is that you _do_ belong as part of this world," Allen told her. "You are just as human as we are. You feel pain just as much, and you think just as much too. If that isn't enough for us to be considered the same, I don't think there is such thing as being human."

All she could do in response was smile at him. "Thanks, Allen."

"Hey! What about me?" Lavi sprang in front of her. "Those were my words – he just enhanced them enough for you to understand!"

"Thanks."

"Oh sure, you say _his_ name!"

"I'm her favorite character," Allen told him with a smirk, "I get special privileges."

"You're not a character," she corrected, crossing her arms. Already they were forgetting their own speech. "You're a _person_, remember?"

"Can we forget this and train already?" Lavi whined, "I haven't trained all day!"

Allen nodded. "For today, you're going to spare against Lavi. It'll give you more practice working against abilities other than your own."

Nodding in understanding, she turned to Lavi, but was surprised to see him already there. He wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her effortlessly from the ground, slinging her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. For a second she laid there, limp, in surprise, but as soon as she realized what had happened and that Allen was laughing at her, she began to kick her feet.

"Let me go!"

"Sorry, Mattie," Allen apologized, "Akuma aren't going to take pity on you out there."

Angry at the fact that she was currently being pulled around the room in the most humiliating way possible and of being called that nickname once again, she pounded Lavi's back. "Don't call me that! Put me down _now_!"

"Her hand's pretty flexible," Lavi commented to Allen, who had seated himself on the floor next to Link. The blonde-haired man was now watching the scene unfold, staring at them emotionlessly. It was then that she wanted to mentally slap herself. She had Innocence for a reason.

Leaning over farther, she reached for the pack on his thigh, pulling his own Innocence out of it. In response, he turned his head, looking at her in surprise. Wrapping her arm around to the front, she pulled back against his throat. Tossing his weapon across the room, she tried to kick at his legs to trip him when he bent low so she could touch the floor, but he quickly released her, though still holding onto her hands.

Her current position wasn't comfortable at all and hurt, but she didn't allow it to get to her. Now lying on the floor, she tugged hard, pulling the unsuspecting Exorcist down along with her. Grabbing hold of him, she was now the one winning, with him below her, struggling to prevent her from trapping him against the floor. It really seemed more like a wrestling match now.

From where he kneeled, Lavi muttered something to himself, but before she could attempt to comprehend it, he pushed her off. The harsh impact sent her rolling a few feet before she came to a screeching halt. Gritting her teeth, Madelynn stood shakily on her feet. Lavi now had his Innocence invoked and was coming her way.

"You're going to have to use your Innocence if you want to protect yourself!" Lavi called, making a lazy swing as an effort to allow her to duck. She narrowly missed it and took his advice, ducking his attack once more. Removing her arms from in front of her so she could see and anticipate Lavi's next attack, she found that she had swiped her claw downward rather harshly – more than intended – and a familiar cross had formed in front of her. Before she could remember exactly what it was for, it shot at Lavi, making the man let out a wild scream as he literally dived to the side of its path, clutching his hair and gaping at some of the pieces that had been cut off and now laid on the floor.

Gasping, she held her hands over her mouth. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to do that, I swear! I don't even know _what_ I did!"

"Not the bandana!" he cried out desperately. "Anything but the bandana!"

Hearing footsteps, she turned and took a large step back when she saw Allen approaching her. Holding her hands up, she defended, "I didn't mean it, I swear!" All he did, however, was give her clawed hand a high five.

* * *

"We've finally been able to make some sense of your results."

There was a fairly large amount of scientists and Exorcists in the room Komui had gathered her as well as about thirty other people in. It was the same room they'd used to study her Innocence she quickly realized when Allen led her over to the same bed-like table she'd woken up on that day. Hopping up onto it, she padded the area next to her, silently offering the white-haired boy a seat. Link just stood to the side of him.

"What'd you find, Komui?" Allen asked, other people nodding in agreement. Said scientist waited for a moment to speak, dramatically pressing back his glasses back and making the light reflect off of them, making him look more serious than anyone could possibly take him for.

"Her Innocence is most defiantly the Crown Clown."

"Yeah," Lavi sarcastically remarked with a grin plastered upon his face, "I kinda realized that when I saw the fluff and claw. Now that she used Edge End to attack my hair, I'm certain she has Allen's Innocence."

"This event is the first that's ever happened in history," Komui remarked, becoming suddenly more serious in order to silence the chuckles. "Tests show that the Innocence she possesses is, as many were hypothesizing, the same as Crown Clown inside and out."

"Are you saying two particles of Innocence are the same, Supervisor?" General Tiedoll asked, curiosity evident in his tone.

"DNA research has showed us both forms of Crown Clown are the same, which means that…" here, he paused to look over his notes once more.

"Both come from the same source," Allen finished quietly, but loud enough so that, because of the silence, everyone could hear.

"Exactly," Komui confirmed. "The only thing that puzzles us is that she also obtained Allen's curse as well, which has nothing to do with his Innocence. Our best theory for right now is that when she was brought to this world a part of her, in a sense, became Allen."

"This world?"

Komui laughed nervously at everyone's outburst, turning and whispering to her. "Before we solve any of this, we have to make sure you are the accommodator for Crown Clown. If you aren't, we'll have to separate you from the Innocence before it harms you. Allen will escort you there."

The walk seemed to take forever as they went to Hevlaska as ordered, and during that time her mind was racing. So she wasn't the accommodator after all? No, no, she had the _potential_ of not being an accommodator… but that was essentially close, wasn't it? Where would she go if she wasn't? If she was kicked out of here, she might as well be homeless.

"Madelynn?"

Snapping out of her momentary crisis, she forced herself to look at Lenalee, who had fallen into step beside her. "Oh, Lenalee." She smiled falsely. Lenalee hadn't been at the meeting, so she assumed she'd seen them in the hallway and rushed to catch up. Allen quickly filled her in on what was happening.

"Come on," Allen told her cheerfully, "there's no reason to worry yourself, Mattie." She shot him a look, which he shrugged off by laughing. "See? You're feeling all better already!"

"Yeah, sure," she replied sarcastically, deciding it was better to just get everything over and done with. Taking a firm step forward, she was about to enter through the doors when someone gently grabbed her arm, forcing her to stand still. "What?"

Allen stood there, still holding onto her. "It's going to be okay, alright?"

"I know," she replied, half truthful, turning to continue on but he held a firm grip. "What is it?"

"You're doubtful," he told her flatly, though not unkindly. "Why?"

"Because," she simply replied, "if I sob and throw a fit about it, is it really going to make things different? I'd rather get this over with. No sense in sitting on my bed and avoiding everything for the next four hours just so the same event could happen exactly the same way and just caused me even more pain. Whatever happens will happen, and when it happens I'll find a new way to live."

"Whoa, whoa!" Allen stepped in her path. "I wasn't thinking in _that_ context!"

"What context_ are_ you thinking in, then?"

Allen reddened slightly in embarrassment. "I thought you were hoping you wouldn't be compatible with Crown Clown and then you'd be able to leave, but that's not the case anymore, is it?"

Honestly, she wasn't quite sure. She didn't want to run away so much anymore; that much was obvious because it wasn't a nightly routine anymore in which she would try to devise ways to escape without ending up like Lenalee for the next few years. Speaking with others was still awkward, but for some odd reason it was not the same way with Allen – who, she thought would've been a hard person to speak with. She wasn't sure what he'd become to her in her two months here, but it was defiantly something more than what she'd wanted.

But did she really want it now? What was he to her, exactly?

Feeling something brushing against her cheek drew her back, and she was stunned to find Allen's Crown Clown activated, and one of the tendrils brushing her cheek tenderly, as though attempting to offer a form of comfort. Allen held up his hands in defense, eyes wide.

"I'm sorry!" He babbled, "I didn't do it, Crown Clown did it on his own!"

A sense of comfort was emitting from the Innocence, however, making her arm tingle. She finally understood all of it, now, and all of her worries washed away. As Crown Clown wrapped around her left wrist, slightly tugging her forward, she obeyed and slowly ambled forward until she was directly in front of the Innocence. Madelynn smiled softly, resting her hands on her knees as she bent down to the mask's level, which wasn't currently attached to Allen at all.

"I think I understand you," she told Crown Clown gently, patting some of the fluff near the top. "To protect yourself, you needed another accommodator. However, you needed someone who understood you enough and would take their duties seriously, right?"

Crown Clown bobbed up and down, and it was only as its form danced around her innocently that she realized just how gentle it was despite the nature of its existence. She could easily see why it was so easily for Allen to befriend his Innocence now.

As Crown Clown settled before her once again, she smiled wider. "I tend to choose the wrong paths that have lots of blockades to run into, and I have a feeling this path is going to be one of those." For a moment, she pressed her lips together, thinking that she was saying corny things, but the looks she was receiving were urging her to continue. "I'll let you in on a secret though; they're the best ones you can take."

Hearing a roar of applause erupt, she looked up quickly, startled. At first it was only Lavi, but she was soon aware of Komui, Reever, and a few others' presence as they joined in. Allen approached her, Crown Clown returning to him and disappearing to rest. "Do you understand now?" Seeing her nod made him grin. "Come on, we still have to figure out your synchronization rate."

"Oh yeah," she slumped. "That…"

"It's not that bad, Mattie—"

"It'll be bad for you if you don't quit calling me that!"

"—All you have to do is just stand still and _not_ panic."

"No worries, I know what she does, so none of you can pull any pranks." Madelynn replied, winking before following Komui and Lenalee towards Hevlaska's lair. As Allen fell into step beside her, she smiled.

Maybe he was a friend.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Author's Note**_ - Wow. Thanks, guys! It made me very happy to see so many people review, alert, and favorite after uploading that last chapter. Therefore, because I've had this written for a while (I like to work ahead so that I have a few chapters to rely on in case I get busy or develop writer's block), I decided to update a week early as a "thanks".

**Disclaimer** - I don't own _D. Gray-Man_... though I'm assuming we've all been on the same page for a while now.

* * *

"Are you sure you'll be okay?"

Madelynn nodded, smiling to assure Lenalee. "I already saw Hevlaska, when I became an accommodator, remember?" She paused. "Or was I already technically one, meaning that I obtained my Innocence?"

Lenalee laughed lightly. "It's okay. Just good…" she trailed off, shaking her head.

Understanding what she had cut herself off from saying, Madelynn nodded. "Thank you, however, I'm pretty sure I'm not going anywhere." Her eyes trailed to her left arm, studying the black color for a moment. "I have faith in Crown Clown's actions." There was a slight tingle that swept across her arm. Lately, she'd been feeling that in the few rare cases of her actually accepting the Innocence's presence within her. It was like Crown Clown was trying to tell her something.

"Madelynn?" For a moment, Lenalee looked uncertain. If there was something she had learned in her time here, it was that Lenalee knew instantly whenever something unnatural had occurred. Perhaps she only got so offensive with Allen because he tried to hide it.

"It's nothing," she assured, smiling. "Let's just get this over and done with so we can bring coffee to the science department. After all, I promised that I'd help you today."

"Madelynn…" Lenalee reached forward, grabbing her arm. Curiously, she looked back. "It's not that I want you here against your will, it's just that…"

"Believe me when I tell you I'm fine with staying here now, Lenalee. If I was _really_ not okay with being here, I would've tried to escape long ago."

"Are you ready?" Komui asked her, pushing back his glasses and taking on his 'serious' composure. When she nodded, he turned to face the group. "Alright, Allen, time to stop trying to hide from me because I see you."

"Yeah, Allen!" Lavi elbowed him in the ribs. "Madelynn will be there to comfort you. There's no need to worry!"

"You're coming along too," Allen calmly replied, stepping forward. "I believe I rest my case."

Madelynn waved to Lenalee one last time before the four of them departed. It felt odd, since Link wasn't following Allen like he normally did. She supposed it was because of the lack of room for anymore people. Noticing the three of them were avoiding her gaze, she slyly smiled.

"For the record, I'm fully aware of what's going to happen. I just have no clue why you two are here."

"Madelynn, Madelynn," Lavi gently told her in a joking manner, "I'm a Bookman, and we Bookmen record important events, and this happens to be one of those. No one has ever had the guts for coming here from another world and jacking part of someone else's Innocence. Normally, we try to be a little more local and get our _own_."

"For the last time, I didn't _steal_ it," she muttered in annoyance. "I didn't even _want_ to come here, nor did I want to become an Exorcist. It's not like I can chop my arm off and give it to you, okay?" She tapped her left arm. "I _need_ this arm."

"Of course!" Lavi teased, "you're one of those music freaks. Your life would stop if you were to lose an arm."

As soon as Lavi finished, Allen patted her on the back reassuringly. "Have a safe lift, Mattie."

"Hey!" she angrily protested before feeling Hevlaska's tentacles wrap around her body and gently lift her up. Noticing Lavi and Allen gaping at her, seeming slightly surprised that she wasn't freaking out like Allen had, she shrugged. "My parents have all pulled the same stunts, tricking me into riding on the amusement rides. I'm not afraid of heights anymore until I'm tipped upside down."

It felt like forever as Hevlaska prodded her hand. At first there was sharp pain as it seeped into her skin, but soon her entire hand was numb and she gave up and just lay limp. The bright lights pulled her into a daze, and before she knew it her mind had gone blank, giving her some momentary peace.

"…Thirty percent. That is your synchronization rate."

As Madelynn's focus snapped back to the present manner, Hevlaska had already lifted Allen up, who looked quite squeamish. Allen had a look of boredom on his face as his own hand was prodded. Soon enough, Madelynn found herself placed back onto the ground, along with Allen.

"Is she…?"

Komui didn't even need to finish; Hevlaska had shaken her head immediately as he began. "No, she is most defiantly the one the Innocence has chosen."

"Hevlaska," one of the cloaked figures from above spoke. As much as she strained to, she couldn't recall their position in the Order, "do you suppose that the event of her inheriting part of Allen Walker's Innocence was purely random?"

Were they supposing she _stole_ Crown Clown? Had anyone who witnessed this even paid any attention at all? She'd never asked for Innocence – in fact, she never even _wanted_ it. To think that people were accusing her of such things made her blood boil.

But Komui defended her case. "We have learned from the past that Innocence cannot be forcibly synchronized with an individual. All of our witnesses have reported that Crown Clown came to her, and it is obvious that she is having no more difficulty adapting to her Innocence than any other Exorcist. I believe it is time to move passed this and accept God's decision."

"I don't think you understand, though, Supervisor," another of the cloaked men replied. "This is not the first time Crown Clown has done what we thought to be the impossible. If one Innocence can be shared upon two people, don't you think it is safe to assume the rest are capable of the same thing?"

"I request that this case be closed," Komui replied sternly. "We have victims of our past experiment. There is no reason to resume an experiment if it has failed."

"Aren't you curious at all, Supervisor?" The man persisted, "think about war itself. When people seek to prevent others from seeing specific things, what do they do?"

Madelynn thought hard. They would hide it, wouldn't they? Just like with some of the most recent wars of her time. Just when she was about to speak, however, she saw Allen raise his left hand slightly, enough so that he could gaze at it.

"I see now," he murmured, a faraway look in his eyes. "You were just trying to protect yourself…"

As his words rang through her ears, it became clear to her. She took a hesitant step backwards, but was surprised to find Allen turn and grab her by the arm, halting her immediately. It was odd how he always seemed to feel a need to have a strong grip on her at times like these.

She assumed it was because of her habit of running away.

"I'm not running," she told him, but he continued to stare at her sternly. "I have nothing to run from. I know I wasn't trying to steal from the Order. As long as I am certain of my actions, you cannot pin anything else against me. For your information, I'm a human, not a cork board. I'd very much appreciate it if you'd stop trying to pin labels on me."

She wasn't sure what had possessed her to say such things, but she wasn't going to back down. Pulling away from Allen, she approached Komui. "Please forgive me for the problems I have caused you and the Order, however I promise to work extra hard to make up for it. I can accomplish anything I put my mind to, and that's just what I plan to do."

Without another glance, she approached Lenalee, who was too shocked to speak. "I believe we have coffee to serve, just like I promised."

* * *

"Compared to how everyone puts your personality, it _is_ surprising to see that you're completely opposite."

"_Fear of the unknown does that to you."_

Speaking with the Fourteenth had become a common activity for her, although she assumed she would never admit it to Allen. For her first month here, it'd been incredibly difficult for her to open up to others, since the other inhabitants of the Order had been so weary of her presence. Knowing there were no way much of her words could get out to the public had been the sales pitch for her, pretty much.

"Why did you choose Allen as your host?"

It was a question that had always struck curiosity with her, but now, even though she hated to admit it, it seemed to have become more of concern for the boy. It felt odd now, calling these people - who, to her, had once only been a part of her and others' imagination - ink on paper. Now that she thought of it, Lavi's words were ironic, even if they were true. To her, they should be only ink on paper, but it didn't seem quite that way for her anymore.

Most of all, though, she wondered if she was just paper now. She was here, wasn't she? She was convinced now that she wasn't dreaming and this was all real, but it still didn't answer the questions swarming in her mind that only continued to pile. Which universe was she a part of?

A tapping sound brought her out of her thinking, and she was puzzled to find lines written on the window the Fourteenth was occupying. Getting up, she walked cautiously over to them, attempting to piece together why they seemed so familiar.

"_It's not just for our score,"_ she heard the Fourteenth tell her, _"it is a language too. I thought a fan of this world would know that."_

"Forgive me for not knowing." She sarcastically remarked, "I guess it's a shame that Allen doesn't just shout it out to the world, huh?"

Their conversation was cut short when there was a knock on the door. Blinking, she made her way over, opening the door just a crack. Allen was standing there, a puzzled look on his face.

"What's a shame that I don't shout to the world?"

Nervously, she turned back, making sure to block Allen's view with her body as she looked at the window. The symbols were still clearly visible on the glass of the window, and the Fourteenth didn't look like he was going to help her anytime soon.

When she looked back, she smiled. "Could you hold on for a minute? I'm not properly dressed."

He gave her a dry look. "Mattie, I can clearly see you have your uniform on."

She glared at him, irritated that he'd once again shortened her name. "For your information, '_Sprout_, I happen to have no socks on and it's a disrespect of the American culture if you allow a person to see you without socks." Slamming the door, she made sure it was locked before making her way over to the window. Wiping the symbols off, she glared when the Fourteenth rewrote them.

Finally, after spending a moment fighting with the Fourteenth, who kept replacing the characters she erased with new ones, she drew the curtains forward, successfully concealing them. Realizing she really had no socks on, she quickly pulled out a pair of socks, attempting to put them on as she hopped over to the door.

"Mind telling me what you're hiding?" Allen asked her as he stepped into the room, already attempting to pick it out.

"I'm ashamed of my socks," she lied once again, eying them. "I much more prefer the fuzzy kind… they're way warmer."

Behind the curtain, the Fourteenth laughed. _"Good save!"_

Rolling her eyes, she sat down on the bed, leaning against the pillow. "Am I seriously _that_ bad at lying?"

Allen shrugged. "I don't know. Crown Clown's the one telling me."

She stared at him in disbelief. "Crown Clown's telling you?"

"Yes," he replied. Letting out a deep sigh, he sat down on the edge of the bed, looking at her. "Look, I _know_ it's really awkward, being here with us when in fact to you we're supposed to come as close to real as ink."

"It's not awk—" she paused, shifting away when he gave her a disapproving look, "okay, fine, maybe it's a _little_ awkward…"

The two sat in silence for a while until Allen looked at her, a curious look on his face, but the kind atmosphere that usually lingered around him had returned. "What were you trying to hide, anyway?"

Madelynn blushed slightly, embarrassed. "The Fourteenth was writing those characters you and Mana used when you were younger, but he wouldn't let me wipe them off. I thought Link was going to come."

Allen stood, walking over to the window, and pulled the curtain back, revealing the symbols and a sheepish-looking Noah. At first he said nothing, so she assumed they were senseless characters, but then Allen huffed and turned his back to the shadow, crossing his arms.

"That's not true."

"_Is too."_

Watching these similar lines bounced back and forth between them for a couple of minutes, she began to giggle when Allen started getting more annoyed. "What's not true?"

"It's nothing," Allen quickly replied before, much to her confusion, making a beeline for the door. Madelynn stared at the door for a while after he shut it, a bit too loud since many people were asleep, before she blinked and moved to look at the window once again. She squinted hard, studying the symbols that were on the window and hoping to make some sense out of them. It was no use, though.

Giving one last final shrug, she pulled the covers and crawled underneath them. Extinguishing the light beside her on the table, she closed her eyes as she buried her face into the pillow.

It probably hadn't been important anyway.

* * *

"You don't like coffee?"

It'd been surprising for her to hear. She'd always assumed Lenalee liked coffee herself since she always delivered it. The older teenager smiled gently, shaking her head.

"No, I don't. It has a bitter taste to it. Not even Jerry has been able to get me to like it."

"Have you ever tried it cold?"

Madelynn blinked when the girl burst out laughing. Normally Lenalee only really chuckled, which concerned her slightly. What had been so funny? It was common to see coffee served cold, wasn't it?

"Sorry," Lenalee replied, "that was just funny."

"I was serious," she replied, slightly crestfallen. "What's so funny about it? I drink it that way all the time. And so do other people."

It was only after she had spoken that she realized Lenalee didn't know where she was _really_ from. Thankfully, Lenalee didn't really catch onto this loop hole and instead only cocked her head to the side, although until she spoke Madelynn was quite uncertain.

"Oh, you're from the United States, right? Do they have a different menu over there?"

"Depends which family you go to for dinner and what's being served on the table."

Her friends all happened to be from different backgrounds, and her own parents favored the traditional food of a few countries her ancestors had come from, so she wasn't exactly lying. On the other hand, she was accustomed to the food she ate, so she wouldn't necessarily consider the food she ate as different.

"Oh! I'm sorry, Madelynn! I didn't mean to offend you."

She shook her head. "No, no, it's alright. Though, really, you might want to try coffee that way sometime. It's good."

Both fell silent as they made their way to the science department, where they delivered tea to the enthusiastic scientists. Madelynn didn't like to admit it, but the ones from the original Headquarters were far friendlier than the others. Some of them stuck their noses up at her, but she only ignored the gestures. It was far better than being questioned about her Innocence.

As usual, Komui leapt onto his younger sister just seconds after they entered. His assistant gave him a look of disapproval, but it went ignored. Several minutes passed by before the Supervisor noticed her presence.

"Madelynn! Excellent, you're here."

"Is that a good thing?"

"Yes, it is. I have a mission for you."

Madelynn let out a breath she'd been holding. "Thank goodness," she murmured before the door opened and Lavi stepped in.

"Hey Lenalee, Mattie."

"Morning to you too, _Ginger_," she bitterly remarked, to which Lavi blinked at.

"Ginger?"

"Where I come from, it's an insult to those with red hair."

"You're just jealous that _my_ red hair is darker than your own now," he defended himself, unconsciously rubbing at his spiky hair, which was knotted and tangled, meaning that it had yet to be brushed. After a moment, he gave up trying to make his hair at least somewhat decent and instead focused on Komui.

"So, what's the mission?"


	7. Chapter 7

_**Author's Note**_ - Well, it looks like for the summer I'll be updating every one to two weeks, depending on how my schedule is at the particular time. Thanks for the feedback, everyone. Seems like a lot of you are eager to see this chapter, so enjoy! The mission itself is pretty basic. Things will get more challenging later on as she progresses as an Exorcist.

**Disclaimer** - I'm pretty sure you've all been aware I am not Katsura Hoshino, correct?

* * *

"You've never been on a train before?"

Sinking into the seat, she muttered in response, "no."

"Strange."

"Hey!" She defended, "in the twenty-first century, there's more ways to get around rather than by boat or train. And on top of that, we're far more advanced industrially. I can go straight down the street to my grocery store to get what they grew halfway across the country."

He blinked. "Wow… that's really lucky." She could tell that he had a strong interest. "What's it like in the future?"

"It's hard to explain without drawing it…" she mused, before blinking as Lavi shoved the details of their mission – which they had yet to look over – into her hands, followed by a pencil. "What am I supposed to do with this?"

"Draw on the back of the papers."

It took her nearly an hour and a half, which was practically the whole train ride right there, to draw out what she figured she would later have to describe and explain in more detail. When she finished the Bookman was staring at her patiently, like a well-mannered child ready to learn. She began by holding up a picture of an air plane.

"This is an air plane," she told him, handing it back to him, "it's like a boat, but it can travel faster and flies." The next picture was a bus. "This is a bus. It's exactly like a normal automobile, but it's larger and can hold more people."

"What's this?" Lavi asked, holding up another picture.

"That's a quick outline of Enumclaw, my home." She moved across onto the seat he was occupying, sitting beside him as she explained while pointing to the various areas. "My house is over here. It's actually a neighborhood, but as you can see, I don't draw very well. And about ten minutes down the road is the high school I go to."

"High school?"

"In a child's life, they will go through three different schools: elementary, middle, and high. After they graduate, they can either continue on to college, or they can drop out and do something else."

Their conversation came short as they arrived at their destination. Madelynn followed after Lavi as they were leaving the train station, eying the area. The town of Brussels, located in Belgium, was quite large and crowded.

They'd been sent here for Innocence. According to the Finders that were currently stationed here, the Innocence wasn't accessible to anyone but Exorcists because of the small group of Akuma. It was obvious from this point that they, too, were hunting for the Innocence.

"Where do we start?" she asked as they stepped off to the side, analyzing the documents that had been handed to them.

"We should meet up with the Finders stationed here first." Lavi explained, "at the very least, they'll be able to tell us where the Akuma have been spotted. Chances are high that wherever they're hanging about is the location of the Innocence."

"So we just walk around until we find them, then?"

"Actually," as if on cue, one of the black golems flew out of Lavi's jacket, "since the Order was finally successful in creating a golem strong enough to withstand the Ark, we can connect with the Finders."

It hadn't been too hard to get in touch with Komui, and for the man to contact the Finders. After about five minutes, they were headed to their next destination: a tavern on the opposite side of town. The group of Finders was occupying a table near the back of the building, and waved them over upon seeing them.

"You're supposed to sit, silly," Lavi told her. She reddened slightly before following his request, seating herself beside one of the Finders.

"I don't believe I've seen you around before," the Finder next to her, a woman, asked her curiously, "are you a new recruit?" At the nod, the woman smiled brightly. "Really? That's great!"

The other Finder, a man who was likely in his thirties, unrolled what appeared to be a map of the town out onto the table. "The townspeople I spoke with a few days ago said this church here was abandoned a while ago. We believe Innocence is what is triggering the Akuma increase and the only way to break the chain of more being born is to eliminate the few here already and take possession of the Innocence."

"This is where you encountered the Akuma, correct?" Lavi clarified, standing when both Finders nodded their heads. "Come on, Mattie. Time to get your practice in!"

Letting out a long, irritated sigh, Madelynn trailed after him. It was a long walk to get to their destination, but once they were ducking around trees and bushes in the small forest that surrounded the church, she knew they were close. At one point, she hadn't noticed the tree root sticking up above the ground across their path and by the time Lavi had tried to warn her, it'd been too late. She grunted as her hands scraped against the hard, ridged surface.

"Whoa!" Lavi helped pull her up. "It's okay. It was just a tree root, no need to get so tense!"

Examining her hands which, as she'd anticipated, were now slightly scraped and thus drawing a tiny amount of blood, she immediately grew defensive. "It wasn't the _tree root_ that hurt, it was the _ground_. Granted, it probably means nothing to you guys to scrape your hands like this, but for me it happens to hurt."

Without warning, he grasped her wrist, dragging her closer to see. Mostly, just areas of her skin cells had been scraped off, so it stung more than anything. The blood wasn't even dripping; it was such a tiny amount. "The ground did this to you?" He laughed. "I've got to hand it to you, Mattie. The rest of us can fall through the roofs of buildings and only get mild bruises—"

Her eyes widened. "_What_?" It was true, though, now that she thought of it. Falls much like the one she had just taken would bring no effect to anyone else in this world. In what she'd thought as 'real life', injuries that they received would normally be life threatening, if not fatal.

"Ah, I think I understand," Lavi mumbled. "Where you come from, injuries are much more risky, aren't they?"

She bit her lip. "That means… that when I get injured, I might die?"

He grinned, but by his look she could tell that she was right. "Don't let it bother you, or else it will cloud your judgment. Any one of us can die; it's a risk we all have to take. As Exorcists, we must be ready to defend our comrades and, if need be, lay our lives down."

"Okay."

"Now, with that cleared, jet's go—ah!" Madelynn winced as he tripped over the same tree root. Just as she was about to make sure he was alright, however, there was a stinging sensation in her left eye before her vision went gray. Lavi noticed quickly and stood, pulling out his hammer and holding it tightly between his fingers. "Level ones? This ought to be a breeze!" she heard him comment before invoking his Innocence and gesturing for her to grab on. Gulping, she complied, clinging to the bar with dear life as she felt her body sky rocket upwards.

Lavi made a grand entrance on the swarm of Akuma. The large numbers were nerve wracking at first, but after seeing Lavi take a chunk of them out in one swipe, her anxiety disappeared and she hopped off, invoking her own Innocence. Hearing a cry from one of the souls caught her attention, making her swerve around to see an Akuma about to shoot her, however before she could panic Crown Clown punctured it.

More Akuma took its place, though, leaving her to back up as they aimed their guns at her. Eventually, she found herself cornered with nowhere else to go. In one fluid motion, she swiped at the air, thankful that she at least knew how to use Cross Grave somewhat. The rest that she was unsuccessful with destroying were handled by Lavi, who took a wild swing at them.

"Good work," Lavi complimented her, patting her on the back. "You okay?"

Eying her hands once more, she gave a shrug, wiping them on her pants as an effort to rid the dirt on them; she would have to wash them to get it off, though. "Yeah, it's just a scrape. No biggie." She rubbed at her eye.

Lavi gave her one of his signature grins. "Let's get the Innocence and get you home. If we hurry, you might be back in time to eat with Allen."

"Why are you winking at me?"

"_All_ the strange girls fall for him."

She glared at him before attempting to cross her arms, yelping when she accidentally poked her skin. Lavi chuckled before turning away and walking towards the abandoned church. Deactivating her Anti-Akuma weapon, she clutched her fists before stalking after him.

"You'd better not tell him your crazy delusions!" she hollered, but as his words repeated in her head she couldn't help but wonder just what she was in Allen's eyes.

* * *

"I wasn't intending for it to be an insult."

"Well it sure _seemed_ like one," she retorted, her voice echoing throughout the church. The seats had cobwebs covering them, as well as the corners of the wooden walls that were rotting. Ware and tare was visible in the carpet; she couldn't tell if it'd always been pink or if its once rich red color had faded.

"I'll check the seats," Lavi told her, "so you check the front."

Rubbing her aching eye, she nodded and made her way down the long aisle that was decorated with the mystery-colored cloth. "Do you think Innocence would really be out in the open?"

She stopped abruptly upon feeling one of the boards creak. Taking a step back, she stepped on the same spot again, applying more pressure. Suddenly, there was a crack and she felt herself falling, making her let out a scream.

Next thing she knew, she was lying on hard cement, what she made out to be Lavi in the darkness, laughing. "You're worse than _Allen_!"

Irritated, she sat up. Now not only did her eye hurt, but the back of her head did too. "I'm okay, thanks for asking," she sarcastically replied before continuing down the dark passageway. She heard Lavi jogging to fall into step beside her.

"Come on! You have to admit it was funny."

She flashed him a dirty look, though he likely didn't see it. "It's always funny as long as it isn't_ you_ who's hurt."

They fell quiet again. At one point it had grown so dark that Madelynn had to press a hand against the rough-edged wall to guide her. A while later, she felt the wall curve to the right but found that there was plenty of space before her, like they'd arrived a huge room.

She heard Lavi curse beside her. "It's too dark to see."

Hearing something crunch underneath her foot alerted her, and she bent down to pick it up, finding that it was a couple of branches. "Maybe we can use your Innocence to start a fire on the pile here," she suggested. The floor was stoned like a cave, it seemed, so she didn't think a fire would break out.

As an effort to check, she activated her Innocence, which let off a greenish glow in response.

Lavi noticed the Akuma first, but it was too late. She'd already been struck and was sent flying backwards. Once she finally came to a skidded halt, she pushed herself back onto her knees and looked in the direction of the greenish glow that was emitting from Lavi's Innocence. An Akuma was battling with Lavi, but she couldn't tell its level. Only difference was, she couldn't see the soul. And, although difficult to be certain when in the dark, everything was in color. Her eye hadn't even reacted to the Akuma's presence.

"Ho, ho, ho, look at this." The Akuma sneered, "none other than Allen Walker himself. Looks like that barrio will come in handy now that you're here." She saw the Akuma charge at her again, making her take a defensive stance.

"I hate to burst your bubble," she retorted, slightly annoyed, "but I'm not Allen."

She shrunk back as the Akuma leaned forward, examining her. "White hair, pentacle eye, black left arm…" It scoffed, "what do you think I am, stupid?"

"Are you calling me a boy?" Angry now, she took a step forward. "I may be considered a tomboy, refusing to wear dresses and put on makeup, but I am not a boy. I'm a _girl_, for your information!"

"An interesting human you are," the Akuma replied, speaking to himself more than anyone else, "Lord Millennium would be most pleased if I brought you back."

Lavi struck the demon with his hammer, sending it crashing against the wall. "Ooops."

The Akuma let out an annoyed growl before diving for Lavi, who in turn raised his hammer once more, preparing for a counter attack. She squinted her eyes to see through the darkness, seeing the dark outlines of it just in time to duck to the side. Hearing Lavi cry out made her turn sharply before something collided into her and she was sent flying once more.

"_Fire Seal_!"

The fire lit up the room, not only attacking the Akuma, but allowing Lavi to pinpoint its location for another. Stepping forward, she performed Cross Grave. The Akuma's explosion made her recoil in freight, but once she realized the battle was over, she let out a long sigh of relief.

"Are you okay?" Lavi asked once he'd jogged up to meet with her. She nodded and began to search for the Innocence. "It's right here," Lavi replied after a few minutes. "We'd better get out of here, though. I wouldn't be surprised if the Earl sent more Akuma here to kill you, mistaking you for Allen."

* * *

Later that night was when they returned and Lavi had ordered her to deliver the Innocence they'd recovered to Hevlaska while he gave the mission report. It was shortly after twelve, hence why the halls were vacant and she was starving, hence why she was debating whether she should go to bed or get a small midnight snack to tie herself over.

After dropping it off, she made her way to the cafeteria, surprised to see Jerry standing there, pot in hand. "There you are, sweetie! You want fish sticks, right?"

"Or she could always try mitarashi dango!" a voice chirped from behind, making her spin around. She blinked as she saw Allen standing there, grinning at her. "Hey, Mattie."

"Hey, Beanie." She smiled as she saw his grin twitch, as well as his eye. After receiving their share of mitarashi dango, they made their way to a table in the back.

"How was your first mission?"

She shrugged. "Okay, I guess. Lavi did most of the work."

"That's to be expected," he replied, popping a dango in his mouth. "You'll get stronger in time, I'm certain of it. Lavi said you worked very well and seemed very dedicated." When he paused for a moment, she looked up. He was staring at her hands, which were still slightly scratched. "What happened?"

"Oh, this wasn't from anything. I… fell."

Allen stood quickly, as though searching for any other injuries. "You what?"

She winced. "No, no, not from a cliff or anything." She blushed. "I… tripped over a tree root. My body's more… fragile, I guess you can say." She stood too, so that she could look at him. "It's nothing major, okay? I'm a complete brainless klutz."

"Sure," he replied, unconvinced.

"Second day of the convention," she told him, "we ran out of pillows and I was going to go alone but everyone kept asking me if I'd be okay fending for myself. Of course, I tried to defend that I was perfectly fine taking care of myself, only to turn and smack right into the wall."

Allen broke out into fits of laughter, and somehow she found herself laughing too. "Seriously? What'd they do then? Or are they used to you doing these things?"

Madelynn sheepishly replied, "Katie came with me." She smacked her head onto the table. "Ugh, the jokes were so humiliating! I've got to be the most klutzy person on this planet."

"Maybe," Allen agreed with a smile. "But I like that. Could you tell another?"

"Another story?"

"Why not? Your life sounds so interesting back at your home. How come you never talk about it?"

She shrugged. "Guess I'm just staying low." She stared at the plate of mitarashi dango she had yet to touch. "I mean, how odd would that be? Me being the future girl who waltzed right into what she thought was the fictional past, but now am not sure, and have part of the main character's Innocence."

"Mitarashi dango makes it better," Allen said jokingly, waving the food before her face slowly. Giving in, she accepted it, biting into it. It was then that she decided it; Allen had good taste buds. Slyly, she snatched the dish, to which Allen replied to with whining out her name.

"You won't mind if I eat the rest, will you?"

Allen calmly leaned forward, taking the tray back. "I'm afraid you're going to have to share that."

Both were interrupted momentarily as Jerry came bouncing towards them, two cups of hot cocoa in hand. "Here you go! Where'd you go for a mission, Honey, the North Pole?"

Madelynn laughed softly, thanking him before he returned to his highly respected place behind the counter once again. Taking a sip, she allowed herself to settle in the silence. Glancing outside, she noticed that it was raining. It was comforting to see such an ordinary occurrence she missed so much. Washington was practically a rain forest.

"Mattie?"

Hearing Allen's voice broke her thoughts. She turned back to face him once more. "Hm?"

"You were spacing out."

She shook her head. "Nope, I was just looking at the rain." She blinked as he grimaced. "You don't like the rain? Why not?"

"It's wet," he replied, "and clingy… and sad."

"Really?" She leaned back in her chair, studying the rain pelting the glass window above their heads. "People say the same thing too, back at home. Have you ever wondered why people love snow, yet they hate the rain? It's the same thing – the snow's just harder."

"Snow's cheerful," he replied.

"True," she agreed. "The rain's just so calm… doesn't it ever make you think?"

"You're really unique, you know that?"

"I wouldn't say _unique_. Maybe different, out casted—"

"No, I really mean it," he told her. "I mean, you think so far out of this world."

She laughed. "You make it sound like I'm philosophical!"

"How long are you staying up for?" Allen asked her after both finished laughing. Madelynn shrugged in response, undecided on it.

"I don't know… why do you ask?"

"Wasn't sure if you were tired."

"I'm pretty awake now, so I think I could last a while longer." For a while after she spoke, they were silent. After finishing the last of her drink, she decided to take the approach she'd been meaning to take for a while now. "Could you tell me what the Fourteenth said last night?"

Much to her confusion, he turned bright red. "Well, it wasn't really much. It was just a joke. Nothing important."

"Oh," she said, feeling slightly dejected as she stared at her cup once more.

Producing a paper and pencil from literally nowhere, Allen thought for a moment before he began writing symbols on the piece of paper and the letter they were associated with. "Each symbol is matched with a letter of the English alphabet."

"All of this fits onto the musical score?"

He shook his head. "It refers to the notes on the piano." She tried to picture the score in her head as he explained, "I know a little bit about music from the Fourteenth's memories… there's seven notes, right?"

"Kind of," she replied. "There are different octaves, though."

"Octaves?"

"There are eight notes in each octave," she told him. "The farther up you go on the scale, the higher pitched your note will be."

"Wow."

"You don't know how to read sheet music?" She was astonished to see him shake his head. "Didn't you play the flute when you were with Mana?"

"Mana just taught me a couple of basic songs," he replied. "We had several different acts. What about you? How'd you learn the violin?"

"Well, when I was in fifth grade – I was about twelve – I had the opportunity to take a music class and chose the violin, which put me in the district's string orchestra program."

"Really?" He seemed awed by it. She assumed it was another one of those things that seemed so far-fetched to him. "Do you still do it?"

She nodded. "Yep. Fourth chair."

"Eh?"

She laughed lightly at his puzzled face. "Oh, depending on the circumstances and how your instructor conducts the class, the best may be placed in the front. Currently, I'm in fourth chair, putting me in the second row, and I'm planning to go for first chair next year… or whenever I get back."

"You'll go home soon," Allen assured her with a smile.

"Sure?"

The smile was still there, but there was another emotion in his eyes that did not match, though she could not figure out what it was.

"Positive."


	8. Chapter 8

_**Author's Note**_ - Wow, thanks for all the feedback, guys! You have no idea how encouraged I get when I see so much activity on this still. Here's the eighth chapter, everyone. Hope you all enjoy.

**Disclaimer** - I don't own _D. Gray-Man_ but fear not, for that I have my pandas still! All... eh, I'm going to have to get back to you with that... but I doubt anyone really cares about my belongings...

* * *

Madelynn had awoken late the next morning. Once she'd finally gotten up, the sun had risen long ago and it was late morning, probably around ten. It must've been a cold winter day, because her room was freezing. Rubbing her arms, at the moment adorned with goose bumps, she ignored the stone-cold floor as she crossed the room to the dresser, where her uniform was kept.

Oh, how much she missed the luxury of heaters.

Over the course of her stay in the Black Order, she'd been given possession of a few belongings. Lenalee had been the most help, having given her a comb and nightgown to sleep in. Miranda had an extra toothbrush that she gave her. The action she was most thankful for, however, were the retirement of all the rumors. Shortly after she had told Allen, Lenalee, and Lavi that she accepted her duties as an Exorcist, it seemed that the news of her decision had rushed through the organization like wildfire.

Once her hair was brushed, she left her dorm and made her way to the cafeteria, slightly puzzled to find no one in the halls. Embarrassed, she sped up her pace, her stomach beginning to feel like it was dropping.

Making it to the cafeteria, she awkwardly crept inside, astonished to see so many people. Usually, she was awake much earlier. Wordlessly, she weaved her way through the crowd that had broken off into groups and were talking with one another. No one even looked familiar.

Suddenly, Allen sprung up in front of her, practically ninja style. "Mattie!" he exclaimed in excitement before grabbing hold of her hand and dragging her further into the crowds. "Come on!"

"Allen," she complained, "I'm hungry…"

"No, no, you've _really_ got to see this."

It seemed that Allen wasn't going to let her squeeze herself out of this one – then again, Allen never let her get out of anything – so she just followed along, trying to puzzle everything together. The huge crowds, everyone's excitement; nothing made sense.

Eventually, they reached a clearing, and Allen finally let go of her hand, beaming at her as she looked around. She looked above, gawking as she noticed the banner that read "WELCOME MADELYNN SCOTT". Immediately, the room was filled with cheering. All she could do was gaze around, too stunned to speak.

She was finally accepted.

But as her eyes fell upon certain Exorcists, she remembered that she had yet to accept them. It was then that she realized those people she was attempting to avoid were in the same exact boat as her, only on different ends. It must've been hard for Allen, Komui, and Lavi, knowing that to her she'd thought they were just paper. For the first time, she found it hard to hold back tears as she looked at them, especially Allen.

He'd probably be in so much trouble if they ever found out he knew she was connected to the Fourteenth too.

But she wasn't going to let that happen.

Saying nothing, she stepped closer to Allen, who heard her footsteps and turned to face her, that kind smile he always gave everyone still on his face. "I'm sorry," she said simply, and before he could reply she pulled him into a gentle hug. She was surprised to feel him wrap his arms around her after a few seconds, helping support her. He must've understood.

"I'm glad you accept us too," he finally replied. "And don't be sorry."

Nodding, she held onto him for a second longer before, deciding that there was no backing out on her decision, releasing her hold. Shortly after, they disbanded, Allen off to speak with some other people she'd never seen before. Once he was absorbed into conversation, she slipped away, smiling and politely thanking those who welcomed her.

It was about another hour before the Order's staff returned to their work. Walking along with the flow of traffic, she paced around the area, uncertain of what she was supposed to do. Technically, as she was told, her training had just barely ended and, depending at the rate of her progress, would still be monitored by other Exorcists over the next few weeks.

"Oh! Madelynn!"

Hearing Lenalee's voice above the crowds drew her out of her thoughts. Turning her head, she smiled warmly at the girl. "Good morning, Lenalee."

The girl nervously looked at her. "Umm," her gaze dropped to her feet, "about your origin…"

Madelynn stared in shock. She knew? "What about it?"

"You're not really like the rest of us, are you?"

Lenalee wasn't going to ask if she was some kind of alien, was she? Although she supposed it could fit…

"I'm just as human as you, if that's what you're concerned about," she answered, unsure of what to say. Should she tell her? She was sure Lenalee could be trusted, but wasn't certain just how many people she should tell.

"Madelynn, you don't have to hide anything from us," Lenalee persisted. "We'll understand."

"I'm…" she hesitated, "I'm not really from here…"

Lenalee looked confused. "I'm sorry, I'm not following."

"No, no, you are." Madelynn bit down on her lip, making her wince in slight pain. "I'm not from anywhere near here."

"I know." Lenalee smiled. "America, right? Somewhere in the town of Twenty-first Century."

"I live in the twenty-first century… but it's not a town. I lied."

"I don't understand. What do you mean?"

She was silent for a moment, but when she was ready she took a deep breath and bluntly told, "I'm from another world."

Lenalee's eyes widened.

"I'm _not_an alien…" Madelynn paused, "okay, so maybe here I could be, but I _swear_I'm human. Where I come from, everything here is just considered a make-belief story… but obviously that isn't very true. So now I'm stuck here as an Exorcist and no one back home knows where I am and I'm probably going to have my own personal head stone here soon and—" she was cut short when Lenalee pulled her into a hug.

"You don't have to hide who you are," she heard Lenalee speak. "You are one of us. So until you are able to return home to your real family," here, she felt Lenalee hug her harder, probably being reminded of her own past, "we'll be your family."

They pulled away, and Madelynn smiled at her. "Thanks, Lenalee."

"You're welcome." She beamed, likely over joy that she was no longer left out of the loop. Shifting nervously, she informed her, an apologetic look on her face, "I'm sorry. I have to go get a checkup… evolved Innocence and all."

Lenalee was gone and again Madelynn felt lazy for being the only person who had nothing to do. Letting out a sigh, she headed back the way she had come. She walked for a long time, far beyond the length of time it took for the Order to return to its working state once again.

Today was going to be a long day.

* * *

"You're going to use equipment to determine if, scientifically, part of me is Allen?"

Everyone laughed at her remark, but she didn't. Hopping up onto the table, she winced as a medical team drew her blood as well as Allen's, taking it away to examine. Afterwards, wires were attached to their skin in order to monitor. The majority of them were connected to her left arm, she noticed. While Komui and Bak discussed something, various other scientists surrounded both of them, bombarding them with various questions pertaining to how she felt.

At one point, both of them were turned so that they're backs were facing one another, and she underwent a series of arm exercises. Finally, a nurse walked in and the room grew steadily quiet, eager for results. Wordlessly, she handed Komui a piece of paper before slipping out of the room once again.

"Here, let me see." Bak took the paper, eyes widening as he read over the contents. "No way. That makes no sense!"

All at once, the room broke into shouts as people demanded to see the papers. After about five minutes of watching the scene, she felt Allen push against her back, trying to turn so that he could hop off the table when one of the computerized graphic charts spiked, making everyone freeze. Feeling equally as awkward as him, she pulled away, blinking as the graphic chart descended once again.

"No, no!" Komui called out energetically, "go back to that position!"

"I'd rather not," both of them replied simultaneously, faces red.

"Oh, you'd rather do so." There was a glint of madness in the Supervisor's eyes. "You wouldn't want there to be no fish sticks or mitarashi dango for a week would you?"

"Do it for the sake of having excellent food?" Allen suggested, head tilted backwards so that he could see her. When she nodded, they returned to their previous position, staring at the charts quizzically as it once again spiked in frequency. Her eyes traveled down to where her arm was.

"That's our Innocence, isn't it?"

Komui nodded, light reflecting off his glasses. "Exactly." After studying their arms for a moment, he explained, "Whether you say Crown Clown split or cloned during your transformation, the result is still the same. The same particle of Innocence resides within the both of you. Most likely, the reason why the energy within you increased dramatically just now is because of Crown Clown reacting with itself."

"If that's the case," she asked, "do we have more energy battling together?"

"That's a difficult question," he replied. "We just don't have wires long enough to test it if you two were to walk separate ways at the moment. The fact that you successfully completed a mission with Lavi's help is enough evidence that you two don't need to be together at all times."

"Based on the results we got from the tests we took just minutes after you obtained Crown Clown," Bak told her, reading off another slip of paper, "it seems that your body had been attempting to reject being the Innocence's host."

She winced. That sounded dangerous.

"There were high levels of aggression between Crown Clown and your body before," he added, "but now there's hardly any."

"Do you have any explanation for the whole transformation?" She gestured to her face.

"As an attempt to make you an accommodator, it's highly likely that the Innocence was attempting to change part of your genetic structure so that it could settle within you."

She curiously cocked her head to the side. "So that's why my appearance changed?"

"Precisely."

* * *

"Trust me! It's really easy, Mattie!"

Frowning at the use of her nickname, she closed her eyes, forcing herself to focus. Now that she had finally grown used to being around him and others, it wasn't such a distraction or embarrassment to work around them. Awkwardly, she raised her right arm in front of her, willing for it to comply with her requests.

_Crown Belt… please?_

She felt something move, and opened her eyes, but Crown Clown had only unraveled the cloth that was wrapped around her arm, leaving it hanging. Cheeks reddening, she looked up at Allen, hoping he had an explanation.

"Does Crown Clown have a sense of humor, by any chance?"

"Kinda." Allen had moved closer so that he could inspect hanging cloth. Madelynn blinked, surprised that he had picked up on some of her slang. "What? You say the same thing? You have yet to even turn sixteen – I can use it if I want."

"What? Twenty-first century slang's interesting to you?"

"As a matter of fact, it is."

"Cool," she sarcastically remarked, attempting to roll the bandage-like cloth back around her arm. If she didn't know any better, she'd say that humming from Crown Clown she was feeling was it laughing at her.

"You're cold?"

"Pardon?"

"You just said you were cold," he said.

"Oh, 'cool' is another slang. Pretty much the same thing as saying 'awesome'."

"Cool!"

She had to hand it to him. She knew he was easily excited, but she never had any idea he had a hyper side. Granted, he wasn't bouncing off the walls, but still.

_Katsura Hoshino should really expand on this side of him…_

"Your use of twenty-first century slang is , Beanie."

Allen's eyes widened, likely more at the long word than the nickname. "Supercali—what?"

She laughed. "," she repeated, though this time much slower.

"Supercali…fragil…istic…expi…alido…cious?"

Nodding to tell him his pronunciation was correct, she told him, "it means fantastic."

"Why not just say 'fantastic', then?"

Shrugging, she replied, "it's fun using long words. It amazes people when you can pronounce them flawlessly without effort."

Both fell into an awkward silence for a while before Allen stood again, positioning himself back in his original spot in the front of the room. When she saw him nod at her, she stood up, invoking Crown Clown once more. She attempted to use Crown Belt but, as hard as she tried, was unsuccessful.

"You have to be clear of what you want, Mattie," Allen called out to her. "Your synchronization rate is low, so it'll be harder for Crown Clown to understand what you want."

"How am I supposed to do that? I'm thinking as hard as I can!"

"It helps to yell out what you want. That's what we all do."

She paused. "Is that why you guys always yell that stuff? I thought that was just to help readers out…" She supposed it made sense. What idiot would yell stuff just because they could?

"Aww, is Mattie too shy—"

"Crown Belt!" The white cloth-like structure sprayed out of her jacket, wrapping around the shocked boy's wrist before she yanked hard, pulling him onto the floor.

"You sure are violent…"

"Then stop calling me that!"

Much to her annoyance, he only continued to sit there on the floor, wrist still held captive by her Crown Clown. She was about to speak again when his own Crown Belt wrapped around her arm, tugging on it slightly. Frowning, she looked up at him, only to see him grinning at her.

Which only irritated her even more.

"What? You might need to fight me someday."

She gawked at him. "You've given up already? I thought you said you weren't going to let the Fourteenth take over you."

"Oh, I wasn't talking about that." He smirked devilishly before Crown Clown retreated, although it still had its grasp on her so she was dragged along with it. When it stopped, she barely had any time to plant her feet back on the floor before she saw a flash of white in front of her.

Crown Clown had enveloped around her, cutting off any means of escape. She looked around frantically, uncertain of what exactly Allen was up to. A spec of black caught her eye, making her duck just in time as Allen attempted to swipe at her with his claw. Swinging herself back around, she attempted to retaliate by swiping at him herself, but his gloved hand grabbed her by her wrist. She tried to use her other hand, but he grabbed that too. With no way out, she was forced to face him head-on.

Allen had yet to make a move. He seemed to be surveying her, as though curious if she would attack him. She pretended to hesitate for a moment and, just as his guard dropped and he freed her and began to scratch his head, she leapt at him. Metal clashed against metal as he blocked her attack, but she only proceeded to grab his arm. His Crown Clown advanced towards her, only to end in conflict with her own copy.

For a while they continued their spare, but came to an abrupt halt when an obnoxious applaud filled the room. Whirling around, she was met with the stares of Link, Leverrier, and Lavi. Seeing Leverrier's hard eyes narrow on her form reminded her of their last meeting.

"I trust that you are able to hold up your own fight now, Miss Scott." His voice dripped with venom. She returned his glare with an unfriendly look.

"And I trust that your awareness will prevent you from interrogating me."

"It's highly likely that in the near future we will be speaking again," he replied coolly. "I just hope I can have a much more mature conversation than last time, if possible."

Allen stepped forward, about ready to object, but she held her arm out, stopping him, as her Innocence returned to its dormant position. Dragging Allen away, praying that a conflict between them would not break out; her prayers were not answered as Leverrier turned to face Allen, smiling cruelly.

Both stared each other down for a moment as a tense silence surrounded them. Allen was first to look away, promptly exiting the room without a word. Madelynn followed after, but not before looking the man's way.

"I don't know what sick game you're playing," she told him, "but you'd better stop now. Just leave Allen alone. The only one who's threatening us here is _you_." With that, she turned and began to leave.

"Madelynn Scott…"

She stopped.

"You aren't siding with the Fourteenth now, are you?"

"I don't trust the Fourteenth a hundred-percent," she admitted, "but I _do_ trust Allen, and I know a lot of other people do too. Right now, it's pretty obvious that you have your facts mixed up."

Outside Allen was waiting, but there was a shocked look on his face. They walked for a few seconds and, just when they were out of earshot, he dragged her into another hall where no one was around.

"Why did you defend me like that?" he asked as he uncomfortably stared down at his feet. "You know me better than anyone else, so you'd understand how dangerous I am. Why bother defending me at all?"

"Just because a Noah's trying to take dominance of your body doesn't make you evil. Besides, from what General Cross said, it sounds like the Fourteenth's been with you for a while. You've never done anything to make me or anyone else suspect you weren't on our side. Why would my opinion change now?"

For a while he said nothing, possibly speechless, before he pressed against the wall and slid down it until he was sitting on the floor. Kneeling in front of him, she continued to keep eye contact. "Wow. Unbelievable." It seemed he thought his ears had deceived him. "Did I just hear you correctly? You've said it yourself that you didn't know me very well… yet you act like you do."

"I don't try to," she replied. "But you're my friend, and I'm going to act like a friend. I would've never lived it down if I didn't defend my friend back there."

"Friend?" It seemed to click. "Ah… friends sound good."

She was confused by his statement, but shrugged it off. Standing again, she held out her hand, which happened to be her left hand. "It's not stiff anymore," she reported nervously when he blinked. He grinned, accepting the gesture with his own left hand.


	9. Chapter 9

_**Author's Note**_ - A while ago, I had a couple of requests for Madelynn to perform on the violin from a couple of reviewers. Therefore, since I did promise them that, I've incorporated that into this chapter. I believe I've given definitions for anything violin-related, but if anyone has any questions don't hesitate to ask me. Without further wait, I hope you all enjoy.

**Disclaimer** - I don't own _D. Gray-Man_.

* * *

That night, the sorrow her disappearance had committed came back to haunt her all at once. She saw her friends desperately trying to find her. Minutes turned into hours, and eventually they had no choice but to turn the situation over to the police. She saw her mother weeping back at home, weeping for her safe return. When she had finally awoken, she was sweating from her tossing and turning in her bed half of the night.

Spending a moment in her room to calm down, she afterwards made her way to the cafeteria, where she was certain the rest of the Exorcists – some of which had become her friends – were located. After bidding Jerry a good morning, she ordered a couple of plates stacked full of pancakes, not really having much of an appetite at the moment. She sat on the end next to Lenalee, which was the only spot left open.

"Madelynn?" Lenalee asked, seeming puzzled, "are you okay?"

Madelynn smiled. "Yeah, I'm just not very hungry right now. I'll probably eat later."

She could feel eyes on her as she ate, making her feel awkward. She ate much slower, almost as though trying to eat properly. Unbeckoned to her, Allen and Lenalee exchanged looks.

"Link…" Allen suddenly asked, breaking the awkward silence. "Could I talk to Madelynn for a moment?"

"That would be killing the point of my surveillance, I believe," Link replied. Allen frowned, obviously displeased with being shot down.

"Madelynn, can we talk for a moment?" Lenalee asked, making her freeze. Swallowing the load of pancakes in her mouth, she nodded and slowly got up. Lenalee smiled warmly at her and lead her to a vacant table in the back, where they both sat down. "Is something bothering you, Madelynn?"

"It's just something random," she replied. "I'll be fine in a few. Promise."

"Madelynn, it's okay. We don't mind if you use us as moral support. If something's bothering you, don't try to deal with it on your own. Just come to one of us. We'll understand."

"No, really," she insisted, "it's nothing anyone can help me with."

"You'd be really amazed at what friends can do. Please, Madelynn, I don't want you to do this to yourself."

Suddenly feeling very silly, she told the older girl, "I had a dream about back home, where everyone was really affected by my disappearance. It made me feel kind of guilty. It feels like I'm not doing enough."

"Of course you're doing enough, Madelynn." Lenalee smiled. "It's okay, you're not alone. I used to feel helpless after I was taken away from my brother. You seem to enjoy it at least somewhat here… and I'm glad, because it makes it a lot easier being an Exorcist."

"Thanks." Madelynn smiled. "And I do like it here. You're all wonderful people."

"Yay!"

Both girls let out a cry of surprise, but glared as soon as they realized who it was. "Lavi!" they yelled simultaneously. The red-head grinned, taking a seat next to Lenalee. Looking over, Madelynn realized that Allen had been left alone. While Lavi and Lenalee conversed, she stood and made her way back to where Allen was, taking a spot beside him and leaning over the table to grab her unfinished breakfast.

Seeing him stare at her, she joked, "what? My mom would kill me if she found out I lived off fish sticks for a year or two."

"Don't you already live off them, though?"

"You live off mitarashi dango."

"There is a difference, though." There was a glint in his eye. "Mitarashi dango's better."

Glaring at him, she violently stabbed into his scrambled eggs, claiming some for herself. Allen gaped at her for a moment, and the laughter from Lenalee's table made her freeze.

_No one_ took Allen's food. Just as she remembered this rule, however, Allen's own fork swooped in like a hawk, claiming one of her pancakes. Unfortunately, that happened to be the last of her food so to get even she grasped hold of his plate and pulled it away from him.

"Hey!" He cried as Lavi roared with laughter halfway across the room, "that's _my_ breakfast!"

Madelynn frowned. "Fine." But she didn't return it before claiming the rest of his scrambled eggs. As Allen was busy scarffing down the rest of his meal, Reever rushed in, hurrying over to their table when he located them.

"Glad you've both eaten. Komui needs to see you two immediately for mission details."

Both nodded, and Madelynn watched the scientist leave as Allen returned his dishes to the front counter. When he was done, they walked together to the supervisor's office. As usual, they were met with the sight of a total mess. It seemed that not even a strict attendant could straighten his organization out. Through the flood of papers, Madelynn could see the man's hand on his desk and seconds later he lifted his head into view, smiling in warm welcoming as he straightened his glasses.

"Ahh! You're here!" He seated himself in his chair, pulling a booklet out of thin air. Allen accepted it, beginning to flip through the pages as Madelynn attempted to peer over his shoulder.

"Callington?" she read aloud, looking up at Komui questionably.

"Yes. It's located here in Great Britain so you three won't be going very far. Strange disappearances have been noted in the town. There's a possibility it may be tied to Innocence, so I'd like for you to go investigate into this matter."

Madelynn blinked as she read something off the paper, now that the booklet was lying in her hands. "String orchestra?"

"There's a well-known orchestra located close to where the disappearances are," Komui explained. "Madelynn, how perfected are you as a violinist?"

She hesitated. "Okay I guess. What does that have to do with the string orchestra, though?"

It was then that she noticed the instrument case that was buried underneath all his papers. He brushed them off, revealing the familiar shape to her, and she couldn't help but perk up in interest. Allen took his attention away from the handout to look at the instrument.

"You will be auditioning."

* * *

Head resting against the window, Madelynn found herself gazing out the window of the train as they passed through a boring section of farmland. Her hands resting upon the violin case that was sitting on her lap, she found herself silently tapping on the surface, hoping to remember the rhythms she'd once been able to play. The compartment the three of them were in was silent, allowing her the time to think deeply on the subject at hand, which for her happened to be her audition.

There were endless possibilities of what to use. She could only remember small snippets of what she had played in her most recent recital, and the fact that anime music was easy enough was the reason she knew she couldn't play it. In such an open audition such as this, musicians were going to play pieces as fancy as possible. The main of the game was keeping it difficult but flawless.

"Mattie?"

Snapping out of her daze, she nervously looked at the Exorcist seated beside her. He laughed lightly, though his gray eyes flickered with something she couldn't name.

"Wow, you must really be out of it if you're not going to kill me for calling you that," he joked, laying a hand on her forehead. "You feel okay?"

"Of course," she replied, rubbing her forehead when he pulled away. "You'd be thinking too if you had to audition for something based off memory."

"What do you remember, then?"

She thought hard, twitching her fingers. It was only then that she recalled a piece she'd played just recently.

"I… I think I remember something," she replied. "It's a very long piece, but there's a section that goes on for a while that's pretty advanced. Maybe I still remember how to play it."

Allen smiled. "Really?"

She nodded. "_Ghosts of Brandenburg_."

Curiosity overwhelming her, she unclasped the lock on the case and promptly unzipped it to peek inside. She stared in awe as she realized just how expensive the instrument must've been. She was left with her jaw hanging as she stared at the violin that had been lent to her.

"What's wrong?"

She fingered the wood. Oh, how she had missed the feel of a violin and yearned to hold one in her hands again…

"This is new. Did the Order just buy it?"

"It was important to the mission," Link told her. "It was only necessary that the Order buy you one."

"It even comes with a shoulder rest and rosin!" she exclaimed, feeling overjoyed. "And it's a full size, too! I don't have to play a three-quarter anymore!"

"Rosin?"

"It's just this stuff that goes onto your strings," she replied. "Which is good. The bow's gonna need a _lot_ since it's new."

Gently, she unclasped her bow, pulling it out of the case and tightening it. Afterwards, she balanced it in one hand – careful not to touch the bow hair – as she pulled the cover off the rosin and began to run her bow over it lightly. After a couple of strokes, she looked up to see Allen eying it with interest, though a little weary.

"Want to try?" She offered the bow and rosin, but he shook his head. "Why not?"

"I don't really know how to handle a violin."

"No one does at first," she reminded him. "It's easy." She instructed as she slowly demonstrated, "you just hold the bow like this – and if it's not perfect, don't worry – and move the bow over the rosin. Just don't move the rosin."

"I guess I'll try," he replied, taking the stuff. She laughed upon seeing his bow hold.

"Your fingers are way too high," she held the bottom with one hand to help support it as she took his other hand. Curling her hand around the top of his, she helped him grip onto the right place on the bow stick. "There you go! Now," she plopped the rosin in his other hand, "just slide the bow back and forth, but keep the rosin still."

"If you get accepted," Allen asked her after a moment, still sliding the bow back and forth, "is it going to hurt you, having to walk away from it?"

"_Will Mattie play my key now?"_

Trying to have no physical reaction to the Fourteenth's voice from the window she was leaning backwards against, she replied, "well, if I'm good enough, they're going to ask me to stay and I'll have to say '_not interested_'."

"_I would've provided the sheet music…"_

"Yeah," Allen's tone dropped as he glared at the mirror, lucky that Link was just reading a book and, therefore, had no knowledge of what was going on. "It'd be nice if they let you go without hassle because they'd know that you're _not interested_."

"Precisely!" she chirped. Just as the Fourteenth was quietly mourning to himself, Link spent a moment to look up from his book and offer them a blank expression before stuffing his nose back in the pages of his book. For the remainder of the trip, the pair played random games to help pass the time.

Callington was a calm and peaceful town. It was literally in the middle of nowhere, and most of it was farmland, but it also had quite a few businesses. There were two taverns, a small store, and a church where the string orchestra supposedly met. After a moment of confusion, Allen explained to her that there was no gate connecting with it because it wasn't a Catholic church.

"Err… what are you doing, exactly?"

Chin resting on the chin rest of her violin, Madelynn turned to look at him. "Tuning," she replied.

"You need to tune?" As an answer, she ran her bow over the string, producing a flat sound. Allen cringed at the sound. "I'm not a musician or anything," he added, "but that doesn't sound right."

"Because it's out of tune," she replied, before playing the string again and reaching up for the peg to tune it. Having no instrument to get a proper pitch for the string, she fumbled with it for a few minutes, attempting to get it as close as possible.

"_You're flat,"_ the Fourteenth told her.

Taking the Noah's advice, she continued to turn the peg until she had the correct pitch. "Thanks," she said before working to tune the other strings. When she placed her violin in rest position, she looked up to see Allen staring at her.

"Wow."

"What's the 'wow' for? I haven't even played anything yet."

"_Let him have his fun, Mattie. He'll realize soon enough pianos are better."_

"Says the psychopathic stalker," she retorted. "I _s_wear I see you more than someone who's actually _living_. I mean, seriously, what's next for you to magically appear in? You're worse than a Jack-in-a-box!"

"Miss Scott," a proctor issued for her to follow when she looked at her, "your audition is up. Please follow me."

"Excuse me, ma'am," Allen spoke up, standing. "I'd like to hear Madelynn, if that's okay."

She felt her cheeks heat up, and grew more nervous, but didn't object as the woman nodded. "Please follow me, then, so I can show you the way."

"Thank you," he replied before falling into step beside Madelynn as they made their way through the halls. When they stopped beside the door, he gave her a grin. "Good luck, Mattie!" He dashed inside before she could say a word.

Taking a deep breath, she let it out slowly and followed after the woman, who stopped at the next door a yard or so down. Entering slowly, she felt her stomach drop as she stepped out into the center of the stage, where a single stand had been placed. As she stood in front of it, she immediately noticed the judges sitting at a table off to her right, supplied with paper and pen. In the back row sat Allen, who nodded eagerly. Setting the stand aside, she watched one of the judges as he glanced up at her.

"Name, please."

"Madelynn Scott," she replied, a bit quiet.

"Any sheet music?"

"No."

"You may begin."

Going into playing position, with her chin resting on her violin and bow on the string, she closed her eyes as she counted herself off.

_One, two, three, __**four**__, five, six._

She pulled, and was amazed at how much sound the instrument produced. She didn't allow this to stop her, however, as she focused intently on her fingers and bow, making sure they landed in the right places as her foot tapped to the beat. A few times, she had landed incorrectly and ended up flat or sharp but didn't allow it to stop her as she fluently eased her right arm up and down like a pump, digging harder into the string as her sound became scratchy.

When she finished, she slowly lowered her violin down by her side, heart racing as the judges marked down her score. No one moved. No one made a sound. And just when she felt tears sting the corner of her eyes, afraid that she had done horribly, she was dismissed. She rushed to get to her case when she knocked into someone. Staggering forward, she felt them wrap their arms around them, stabilizing her.

"Sorry…" She trailed off when she realized it was Allen. The concern in his eyes was replaced with excitement.

"That was amazing!" he exclaimed. "I mean, I always figured you could play the violin… just not _that_ well. I think the judges were impressed, too. They think you composed that."

"I wish," she replied. "It's a workout just to _listen_ to it." She added when he laughed, "I wasn't kidding. The recording is like eight minutes long."

Outside, they met Link, who informed them that they'd be back later in the evening to see the results of who was chosen to be in the orchestra. Supposedly, they planned to post the list on the front doors of the church.

"What are we doing now?" Madelynn asked Allen and Link.

"Well, we don't have any idea of where these disappearances are taking place besides that they're close to the church." Allen explained, "while in the church, I didn't sense anything strange about it. If you're selected for the orchestra, you'd be able to see for yourself if anything's odd about the church."

"What if I don't get in?"

Allen shrugged. "Wouldn't be the end of the world, but it'd be a lot harder."

She frowned.

* * *

_**Author's Note**_ - On another note, before I end this, I'd like to point out that Madelynn is _not _one of those oh-so-great, talented violinists. Granted, she is good, but anyone can play well with practice. I've played _Ghosts of Brandenburg_ myself and ended up practicing that same section over and over again so much that I memorized it. In short, she's good, but not the best.


	10. Chapter 10

_**Author's Note**_ - Since I will be busy over the next week or so, I've decided to update now to hopefully tie you all over until I get the time to write some more. So until then, enjoy chapter ten of _Living Animation_.

**Disclaimer** - I don't own _D. Gray-Man_. All characters (save for Madelynn) are property of and belong to their respectful owner, Katsura Hoshino.

* * *

For much of the afternoon, Madelynn wandered on her own seeking for any information about the disappearances. Not many people had much to say. After a few hours, she had concluded that all the disappearances had occurred when the victims were alone at any time of the day. When it was about dinner time, she was going to give it up and go locate Allen and Link, who were no doubt eating by now considering Allen's appetite.

Then she found someone.

One tip from an old woman led her to the house of a younger woman, whose husband had recently disappeared. Lightly knocking on the door, she waited for a moment before the door opened and a tear-stained woman emerged.

"Can I help you?"

"I'm investigating the disappearances that have been occurring here," she told the woman softly. Technically, she wasn't lying. "I heard that someone close to you disappeared, and I was wondering if you would be willing to share with me."

The woman stared at her for a moment, as if unsure of what to say, before she asked in a whisper, "can we talk inside?"

"Of course."

Madelynn was led inside, where the woman politely asked her to sit on the couch. The woman disappeared into what looked to be the kitchen and returned a couple of minutes later with tea. She politely thanked her as she accepted the beverage, taking a sip.

"Oh!" Madelynn smiled at her. "I'm Madelynn, by the way."

"Please call me Caroline," the woman replied. She seemed more relaxed now that she knew her name. "I suppose you would like to know about Matthew, correct?"

"Is he the one who disappeared?"

Caroline nodded. "Yes. He was my husband."

"Where was he headed when he disappeared?"

"Upstairs. The police and I only found blood upstairs, but it was so little that they called it a disappearance."

"May I see this room?"

Caroline nodded, standing. "Please follow me."

The room Matthew had supposedly disappeared from was incredibly small and appeared to be a study room of some sort. Bookcases filled with thick books lined the walls, along with a cluttered desk. Stepping over to where there were dark spots against the white carpet, she analyzed it closely.

"Are these stains from the blood?"

"Yes," she replied.

Madelynn found herself peering closer, however, as she noticed a couple of areas in which the stains were much lighter. She frowned slightly, finding that it made no sense. "Miss Caroline, how much blood did you find, exactly?"

"It was a very small amount," she replied. "Surely Matthew would not die from such an injury."

"Was it laid out evenly? Or was it heavier in some spots?"

"The police were confused about that too," she replied. "While the blood was still fresh, those stains you just pointed out had already dried up."

Madelynn thought hard. The captor wouldn't have bothered to clean up any of the blood, assuming the man had been abducted. Even then, someone would have cleaned up the outside long before they got to the inside.

Not much later, Madelynn was out on the streets again, searching for Allen and Link. She found them about fifteen minutes later, eating dinner in the tavern they were staying in. As the woman running the tavern went to retrieve soup for her, she took a seat besides Allen, whose eyes lit up as he noticed her.

"Mattie!"

Link must've sucked the fun out of everything. She'd never seen, nor expected Allen to be the energetic type.

"Hi, Beanie."

Allen's face fell before he slowly returned to his food, muttering something about her not giving him a nice nickname like he did with her.

"We didn't find anything," Allen told her when she was about halfway done with her meal. "What about you?"

"I spoke with a woman whose husband disappeared," she told him. "All that was left behind was a small amount of blood. Police said that it wasn't enough to call it a murder."

"What's different about it, then?" Allen pointed out when she looked at him in question, "you're frowning."

"Just the whole clue, overall. The blood was scattered around in a circle in several layers. What puzzles me is that the blood in the middle was a lighter amount than around it; Miss Caroline told me the blood had already dried there when she saw it."

She paused, and Allen spoke wearily, "is that all?"

She shook her head. "No. I don't know if the police or Miss Caroline ever noticed, but there was a footprint in the shape of a human's, but it wasn't made by boots or feet."

"What did it come from, then?"

"A skeleton."

"You're back!" Allen exclaimed when she came back after going to the church after dinner. He hopped off the couch and bounced over to her, asking her eagerly before she could question Link's whereabouts, "did you get in? Did you? Did you?" He greatly resembled a child craving candy.

Shutting the door, she smiled. "Yep."

Much to her surprise, Allen leapt at her, pulling her into a tight hug. Caught off guard, she yelped and staggered back in surprise. Although he didn't hold onto her for very long, it seemed that way. Slightly dazed, she felt blood rush to her cheeks. There was a foreign feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Puzzled, she was unaware of the alarmed look that was still plastered on her face. Her eye brows furrowed as she tried to piece together what she was feeling.

"Mattie? Are you alright?"

Snapping out of her thoughts, she realized Allen had let go of her. "Huh? Oh… yes, I'm alright."

"_Aww, how cute,"_ the Fourteenth mocked in the mirror. Madelynn turned and flung the nearest object to her, which happened to be a pair of Allen's socks, at the mirror. _"That isn't very lady-like, you know."_

"It's not very man-like to write a message and not tell the person what you're saying. Quite rude, actually."

Allen stiffened when the shadow re-wrote the letters. As he turned around, she moved closer, attempting to use what she had studied off the paper Allen had wrote the characters on to decode it. She blinked in surprise when she uncovered its meaning.

**Allen likes Mattie.**

She turned to look at Allen, but found that he had left. Crestfallen, she tried to recall the recent events. Running a hand through her hair, she decided she would find out soon enough how Allen felt about her, but one more question raced through her mind.

At first, she thought nothing of the message and promptly turned to look at Allen, but found that he was nowhere to be found. Seeing the door now ajar she frowned, both crestfallen and irritated. Huffing, she tore out of Allen and Link's room and into her own across the hall, shutting the door behind her before she sat on her bed.

None of it made sense. It'd only been a harmless joke. Yet Allen had left without saying anything, and there was still that strange, uncomfortable feeling in her stomach. Letting out a long sigh, she flopped backwards so that she was lying on the bed and stared at the ceiling.

"Do I like him too?"

Allen and Link were already gone the next morning, leaving her to gloomily walk to the church with her violin. She awkwardly sat in her seat, which happened to be the tenth chair for second violin. A woman who called herself Diane was her stand partner, and didn't look very pleased having her as a partner. The conductor was a man in his thirties, and everyone silenced as he stepped up to the podium, waiting patiently for his welcoming.

"It's a pleasure to see our orchestra this full again," he spoke with a bit of sorrow in his tone, "considering the recent disappearances. May God be with us all so that we do not face anymore of these tragedies."

Throughout the morning, introductions were made and music was handed out. About late morning, the group was released for an hour-long lunch break. As Madelynn was going, however, she heard the conductor speak.

"Are the disappearances associated with the Earl?"

Spinning around, she glanced at the conductor in surprise. She stared him down, trying to determine whether he was a supporter of the Black Order or a Broker for the Earl. "How do you know?"

"I was formally a priest," he informed her. She found it believable, considering his mention of God, but she was still wearily. "My nephew was an Exorcist. Suman Dark."

Still weary, she gave a shrug. Anyone could say they were related to an Exorcist. "We're not certain what it is yet," she replied, choosing her words carefully. "We're hoping to investigate as much as possible. I'm assuming this is why I was accepted in here, assuming you are a supporter."

"Yes, I am." He told her, "I wouldn't count you as a terrible musician, however. You have quite the skill for someone your age. Our works are just above your level. But I suppose that you don't have much time anymore for music now that you're an Exorcist."

Stepping outside, Madelynn smiled as she found Allen and Link eating what looked to be a pastry of some sort outside. Pushing aside what had happened last night with Allen out of mind, she jogged over to meet them. Taking a seat next to the other Exorcist, she smiled at him as he glanced at her.

"Oh, hi Madelynn…"

Oddly enough, it felt odd not being called 'Mattie'. And it hurt to not be looked in the eye by him. She watched him for a moment before she broke the silence once again.

"Allen… can we talk?"

"Link has to monitor me."

It annoyed her how he was using Link to prevent speaking with her. Standing up and brushing off her pants (she'd recently switched them out with the capris she'd been given, as they protected her from scrapes), she let out a long sigh before taking off once more, tossing over her shoulder, "fine, then. I'm going back."

"Are you going home now, Madelynn?"

Glancing up at her stand partner, who had eventually warmed up to her, Madelynn nodded. "Yeah."

"Okay. See you tomorrow."

"Goodbye." She froze as she felt a sting in her eye and her vision grayed. Holding a hand against her cursed eye, feeling the metal of the cog wheel-like object that hovered above it, she glanced around, trying to diagnose the reason.

_Help…_

It wasn't anyone inside.

_Help me…_

She stood frantically, trying to follow the voice.

_I don't want this…_

"Diane!"

_Save me!_

The wall beside her exploded just as Madelynn threw herself against the woman, knocking them both to the floor. Other people screamed as an Akuma, a level two or three – she couldn't tell – stepped through the rubble. She forced herself back onto her feet, ordering for Diane to get back.

"What about you?"

"That's a long story," she replied, eyes falling on the Akuma. She didn't neglect to see the name written on the Akuma soul's forehead: Matthew Thomas.

"An Exorcist, 'eh?" The Akuma scoffed, "looks like I hit the jackpot!" People screamed as its tentacles shot forward at them, and Madelynn quickly reacted, calling forth Crown Clown. The Innocence's cloak extended, creating a blanket around the people.

"Go!" she shouted, "hurry and get out!" She cried out as she felt a tentacle wrap around her claw and toss her up in the air, leaving her flat on the ground.

"Heh, like that's going to work!"

Madelynn gritted her teeth, before aiming at the Akuma with her right arm. "Crown Belt!" The fabric struck the Akuma right in the face, making it stagger back before it growled.

"You little brat!"

Rolling over to the side, she pushed herself up quickly before tracking around the Akuma, avoiding the poisonous tentacles as they tried to hit her. When there was an opening, she took advantage of it.

"Cross Grave!"

She cursed, for probably the first time in her life, when she realized that other Akuma had come to her aid, and all appeared to be above a level one.

"Ah! It's a pleasure to see you here!"

She froze when she heard the voice. Luck was not on her side tonight, it seemed. Slowly turning, she stared fearfully at the man a few feet before her.

"You've been causing me quite the trouble, Allen Walker!"

Her face fell. Was _everyone_ going to mistake her for him? True, some things were the same about them, but for Pete's sake, she was a girl!

Suddenly, however, something hard struck at her back, and she felt herself being thrown forward again. When she tried to push herself up, though, she was horrified to find that dark stars were beginning to cover her body. Grunting, she looked back at the Akuma.

_Help…_

_Save me!_

One by one, the tormented souls cried out, begging to be saved. Eying her bare skin, which was darkening, she let out a breath. She was going to die, wasn't she?

"I'm sorry…" she murmured, but failed to see another figure enter the scene. She let out a gasp as their large, metallic hand slammed into the area just below her collarbone, throwing her back to the floor. When she realized the poison was receding, she looked up to find Allen there, hand still pressed against her.

"Are you okay, Madelynn?"

She nodded, slowly rising when he removed his hand, but she could still feel his eyes on her, hunting for any evidence that poison still circulated through her system. When he found none, he turned to face their enemy.

"Earl."


	11. Chapter 11

_**Author's Note**_ - Wow, eleven chapters already? I never expected _Living Animation_ to be as popular as it is now. Thank you everyone who's reviewed, as well to everyone who's stuck with the story. I hope everyone continues to enjoy.

**Disclaimer** - I don't own_ D. Gray-Man_.

* * *

She'd never expected it to feel this way.

The tension. The hatred that clouded around them all. Everything. The atmosphere was dark as Allen and the Earl eyed each other. Madelynn shifted uncomfortably, rubbing her black arm for a source of comfort. Wordlessly, she watched as Allen exchanged his arm for the Sword of Exorcism.

"Ahh," the Earl exclaimed, practically with glee, "so you intend to fight me, then. I'm more curious about your sister, however."

She blinked. Really? They were going to be mistaken as siblings now?

Allen didn't look too amused either. "She's none of your business. Your opponent's me, Earl."

"I'm afraid you two won't be battling me today, as I have business to attend to…"

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. When _didn't_ he have stuff more important than dealing with Exorcists?

"…So I'll let you two have fun with my precious little pets. A beauty, aren't they? I've created most of them recently."

"That explains the disappearances," she noted when the man floated away using his umbrella. It then hit her. "You know, I'm such an idiot. The fact I thought it was a skeleton should've given it away yesterday."

Eying the group of Akuma that had gathered, Allen told her, "you start on the level ones. I'll take care of the level two and three and then help you."

Madelynn nodded before jumping into the fray, weaving through the Akuma as they shot their bullets at her. Occasionally, she would use Crown Clown to shield herself from a shower of the bullets, but didn't land a first strike until she was clear in the middle, where her cloak was able to stab through multiple demons.

For a while now, she'd been studying Allen's style of combat closely. He seemed to rely on Crown Clown for defense, while she used it for both that and attack. She would have to ask him later to teach her more abilities she could use with her claw.

The swarm of Akuma filled the gaps quickly, and she soon found herself tired out after a few rounds of her technique. No matter how many times she did it, there seemed to be no end to the flow. She hadn't even made a dent in their population yet.

"Ha! You left yourself wide open!"

Hearing the voice, she immediately ducked, missing a bullet by centimeters. However, due to the swarm, it struck another Akuma, destroying it instantly. She stared in horror as the soul sunk into the darkness below. Eyes widening, she tried to reach to it.

"No!" she cried.

A hand grasped her own, stopping her. Shocked, she looked up to find Allen beside her, only he seemed surprised too. "You care about them too?" he asked her before smiling softly as he seemed to understand. "Now's not the time to mourn. Let's finish up here first, okay?"

Slowly nodding her head, Madelynn positioned herself in front of the Akuma once more, eying them gently. Some of them scoffed, and others just stared at her, but it didn't stop her from smiling gently at them.

"See? I told you she was a lunatic!"

Smiling at the one who had spoken, Madelynn curiously asked them sweetly, "what was your first clue?" Without warning, Crown Belt extended, striking the Akuma all the way through its body. Apparently, Crown Clown hadn't liked the comment.

With Allen's help, the level one Akuma stood no chance. His blade sliced through them like a hot knife through butter. Within minutes, Madelynn found herself staring into space at the floor, her hand whipping the blood coming from her left eye. After eying the damage, Allen stepped beside her, and she could feel his eyes on her for a moment.

"Are you okay?"

She nodded.

"Our war is like any war, even if we were made to thrill teenagers." He explained, "we have casualties, just like now. True, it's the first time in a while I've seen a soul not pass on, but it's not the first, and I know it's not the last. I probably wouldn't have been able to do anything myself. I don't blame you, and you shouldn't either."

"Allen," she looked up at him, a curious expression on her face, "why is it that only Innocence can save the souls of the Akuma?"

"I don't know," he said after a minute. "They say only Innocence can destroy an Akuma, but we've found other methods." He smiled at her. "Maybe we'll find another way to save the souls sometime in the future."

"And kill the Earl," she added, "so that no one will have to suffer anymore."

"Madelynn… how often does your eye hurt?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. It used to hurt every day, practically all the time, until I started fighting Akuma. Now it only hurts every once in a while."

"I'm sorry."

She blinked. "Sorry? Why are you sorry?"

"It's because of me that you're suffering. If I wasn't cursed, you wouldn't be either."

"I don't blame you," she replied. "It wasn't your fault. It was no one's. Crown Clown just did what it thought was right. I'm not dead. I'll adapt to it."

"We'd better go find Link." He grinned sheepishly. "When my eye activated and I saw all the Akuma heading to where you were at, I kinda left him behind."

She laughed, picking up her violin case. "Come on, we'd better go find him." She stopped as she remembered what she'd been angry at him earlier for. Just as he looked at her in concern, though, she shook her head. "It's nothing."

Her head was aching slightly from it bobbing against the train window when she woke up. Link was sitting across from her, still reading his book like he had when she fell asleep, but Allen was no longer beside him. "Where's Allen?" she asked groggily. It was dark outside. She had no idea what time it was.

"He went to sleep," he replied.

"I'm going to go to sleep," she told him, standing up. Silently, she made her way to where the lodging was. The load was light on the train, so she wasn't surprised to find only Allen inhabiting the area. She was, however, not expecting him to be up. "Allen?"

He jumped in surprise, almost hitting his head on the bunk above him. "Oh, Mattie. It's just you."

"Are you okay? Link said you were sleeping, but you look wide awake."

"Yeah."

She took a step closer, but not before turning on the light. "Why are you clutching your chest?" She understood soon after, though. "Oh! No, no, moving around like that's going to make it worse, trust me."

"Eh?"

She ignored him as she pulled the covers back, but stopped to frown at him after a moment. "You're shivering, yet you took off your shirt and didn't even use the covers?" As much as she wanted to question his methods for relieving the pain, she didn't bother to question. He'd likely been attempting to change and gave up because of the pain.

"It hurts," he complained. She let out a sigh, retrieving his shirt that was off to the side. "Put it back on and get under the covers." She got up to leave the room, but not before tossing over her shoulder, "I'll be right back."

Allen was hunched underneath the covers when she returned a couple of minutes later with a glass of water. Gently setting the glass down, she pulled back the covers and helped him sit back up. "Here," she said, handing the water as well as a pain reliever to him. "It's pain reliever. You just swallow or chew it and it'll make the pain go away."

He blinked, but listened to her anyway. He stared at the wall for a few moments before announcing, "it doesn't work."

"That's why you have to lie down," she replied. "It doesn't work on the spotlight, silly." Pulling the covers over him, she stood. "I'm going to go find another bed, okay?"

"Could…" he asked softly, "could you stay? Just in case it doesn't work and I need more advice?"

"Sure," she replied, stealing a blanket and pillow from the top bunk. "But I call the edge of your bed," she added, curling up on her designated spot and lying her head on the pillow. She felt his foot wedge itself underneath her head and muttered tiredly, "very funny."

"Mattie."

Upon feeling someone nudging her head as an effort to wake her up, she curled tighter. "Five more minutes," she murmured before rolling back over and attempting to fall back asleep, but whoever was there was determined to wake her up.

"Mattie, it's time to get up. It's morning. Our stop's going to be here soon."

Cracking an eye lid open, she blinked as she saw a bob of white hair, followed by gray eyes. Eyes widening, she rose up quickly. "I'm sorry!" However, she ended up smacking her head right on the bunk above, making her whimper in pain for a moment.

"It's okay," Allen replied, rubbing the sore spot on her head as she looked up at him. "Just don't hit yourself." He then blushed, looking away. "Umm… about yesterday…"

"What was causing you pain?" she asked, curious. "Did you get hurt?"

He shook his head. "No, I stabbed myself a while ago and it has a different effect than most swords."

It didn't take long for her to remember. "Oh! I remember now." She eyed him wearily. "It doesn't hurt still, does it?"

Allen shook his head. "It never lasts more than a couple of hours."

Setting the bottle of pain killers in his hand, she said when she noticed his puzzled gaze, "keep it. You probably need it more than me, anyway." Her smile dropped a little as she added, "there's not much left… but I hope it helps anyway."

Allen seemed surprise by the gesture, but soon recovered and gave her a small smile. "Thanks."

She found herself returning the gesture. "You're wel—" The train shook violently, making them both lose their balance and end up sprawled on the floor. Allen was first to recover, practically dragging her back to her feet as they rushed out of the room, following the screams.

Her eye then activated.

"Link!" Allen yelled, voice rose to overcome the terrified crowd, but there was no sign of the man. She stared in horror as flames engulfed the area, trying to push through the body of people that were heading the opposite way as her, attempting to reach where the Akuma were.

"Decided to come out now, have you?" She froze as the voice reached her ears. "Very well, then. All the easier for me."

Whirling around, she was met with a pair of familiar, eerie gold-eyes. Dropping his cigarette on the ground, he slyly smirked at her as he raised his hand before her, as though threateningly. Allen protectively pulled her back, stepping in between her and the Noah.

"Tyki Mikk," he hissed, almost angrily, as his eyes narrowed on the man.

"Now, now," Tyki peered around Allen to look at her, "that's not very nice. All I'm here for is to bring your female friend back to the Earl as a guest of honor. Hand her over, and I won't touch anything. Promise."

"You already have," Allen retorted, invoking Crown Clown, "so that dismisses your proposal right now, doesn't it?"

"So that's a 'no', then?" Tyki smirked once again as Allen's cloak began to surround her protectively. "Very well, then…" Akuma rose from the chaos.

"We'll just take her by force, then."


	12. Chapter 12

_**Author's Note**_ - Wow, that was a lot of reviews. I returned and went to check my E-mail account and found all of your wonderful reviews. Thanks, everyone. It was great to see more people favorite and add _Living Animation_ to their alert lists as well. As always, I hope you all enjoy!

**Disclaimer** - I do not own _D. Gray-Man_. That and its original characters belong to their respectful owner, Katsura Hoshino.

* * *

Much to her alarm, Crown Clown was enveloping around her, clinging to parts of her body as it compacted itself more and more. She tried to press forward, but it latched onto her arm tightly, holding her in place. Frantically, just as Allen began to step away, she tried to fight against the pressure.

"Allen?"

He turned, shooting her a hard look that made her flinch. "Don't move!"

She would've protested, but Crown Clown then completely covered her, and she found herself immobile. She felt like she had been left in the dark - though that had technically happened, seeing as she was now stuck here - without explanation. What was going on? Why couldn't she fight?

Gritting her teeth, she murmured, "let me out." Crown Clown did not obey her request, though. She let out a frustrated sigh. She couldn't just leave Allen out there to fend for himself, as much as she was sure he'd be okay with it. They were comrades, weren't they? Feeling her tears welling up, she angrily scolded herself for it. Why was she so emotionally weak? Since when did she cry so much like a baby?

"Heh, that's all you've got after all? How disappointing."

She heard Allen scoff, though his voice was strained, "underestimating me, are you?"

Gritting her teeth, she stared hard down at the mask that was floating in front of her now. "Please," she begged, "you _have_ to let me fight." For a moment, she was left to gawk as the mask tilted backwards, much resembling a person that had fainted, until she understood. "Hey! At least I'm _looking_ to fight! That means you'll let me, though, right?" She frowned when nothing occurred. "Fine... was worth a shot anyway."

She wasn't sure how long she stood there, listening for any signs that Allen had the upper hand of the battle. It proved to be difficult after a while, though, and she had no idea of the standings until she heard someone fall to the ground, followed by Allen grunting.

"Looks like our battle's over," she heard Tyki speak. "It's a shame, I was hoping for more of a fight. Nevertheless, I'll just let the Teez finish you off while I take care of that annoying Innocence of your's for good."

Alarmed, she turned to face Crown Clown. "You can't keep me in here." She threatened, "if you don't let me out now, I'll force myself out."

Much to her surprise, Allen's Innocence gave in. Not wasting time as she was released, she invoked her own Innocence, firing Crown Belt at the Noah. Having not expected it, he staggered for a moment, but it gave her enough time to hold her hand out and call forth the Sword of Exorcism, "Crown Clown!"

She'd expected nothing to come of it, but then the weapon suddenly twitched slightly before it flew back in her direction, cutting through the Teez gathered around Allen fluidly. She yelped, taking a step back before gripping the sword tightly in her hands. She struggled with the excess weight, likely because she was not the proper accommodator of Allen's Innocence.

"Looks like you've decided to join us, _Miss_."

The 'Miss' had slipped off Tyki's tongue sarcastically, almost bitterly. She whipped her head to the side to face him and, as their eyes met, she narrowed her own. There was no fear that swept through her, simply because there was no time to. Peoples' lives were at stake. More importantly, Allen's life. That last thought only continued to pile onto the confusion of Allen, but she pushed it aside. Now was not the time to ponder Allen's place in life. Although, she was certain he must've been kept high, or else she wouldn't be standing here with the need to help him.

"Yes," she replied, her voice surprisingly even for how much she was shaking, "but I'm afraid I'll have to pass on your invitation."

Since when was she so cocky?

As if on cue, the Akuma that had once been off to the side drew closer, circling around her. Unconsciously, she held the sword out, ready to strike if need be. Still, she couldn't help but wonder what she was thinking, believing she could fight with a sword when in fact she had no clue how to.

"Akuma," she heard Tyki order them, "make sure she doesn't escape. Master Earl is quite fervent of her presence."

One by one, the Akuma took a step closer, closing in on her. She found herself overwhelmed, unsure of whom to point the blade at threateningly. Allen slowly stood back up, his remaining hand reaching out towards her.

"Mattie!"

She nodded, positioning her body so that the sword was facing in his direction.

"Crown Clown!"

His weapon left her hands, sailing straight for Allen while taking out one of the higher-leveled Akuma in the process. It's death seemed to outrage the other remaining Akuma, who gave a battle cry before lunging for her. Already prepared, she invoked her own Innocence, allowing Crown Clown to whip at the ones behind her.

"You've left yourself wide open, girl!"

Alarmed, she looked up, letting out a shriek when she saw the large Akuma before her. Its fist missed her by inches, but didn't get a chance to launch another attack before Allen sliced through it cleanly, landing beside her. "It's not very nice to gang up on a lady," he politely informed the Akuma. As his eyes laid on her's, she shifted uncomfortably. "You okay?"

She nodded. "Sorry, you were in trouble," she mumbled.

"Can't be helped," he responded with haste. He thought hard for a moment. "How should we deal with this...?"

"I'll take care of the Akuma," she offered. It was all she could do anyway. There was no way she'd stand a chance with Tyki.

"Just be careful," he replied. He seemed weary of the arrangement, but didn't comment on it as he dashed off and left her with her own battle. Turning, she faced her own opponents as Crown Clown lowered onto her shoulders, preparing for battle.

"You against us, eh?" one of the Akuma scoffed, to which the rest cheered in agreement with as they charged at her, "what a joke!"

In response, she flicked her right fist hard as she yelled out, "Crown Belt!" The cloth struck the Akuma in the front with the force of bricks, throwing them backwards. Some exploded while others sprung back up, determined to jump back into the battle as quickly as possible. Within seconds, she found herself overwhelmed by the numbers. She let out a gasp as an Akuma - by the condition of the soul, she estimated it to be a level three - grasped her by her ankle, spinning around and tossing her away. The exit near them broke as she collided with it, having been pushed passed its limits. She cried out loudly as she strick the grassy ground hard, continuing to roll down the hill. Allen's screams echoed through her head as her body finally came to a hault.

How much was she injured? She didn't know. She was too afraid to open her eyes. Was anything broken? Could she still even move? To answer that question, she tried to push herself up, but someone frantically rolled her over, making her cry out in pain.

"Mattie!" It was Allen. "Don't move. Everything's going to be okay, I swear. Just don't move." She heard him swear before feeling a weight on her chest. Forcing her eyes open, she let a groan escape her lips.

"Allen... that hurts," she complained, attempting to move his head from her chest. "I'm still alive..."

His head rose quickly, and she could see relief written written clearly on his face before he pulled her into a hug. "Oh, thank God. Everything's going to be okay. I'll take care of everything. Just don't move. Your body's too fragile-"

"Allen," she cut him off, "I'm fine." She was confused too. The dull ache had gone away. "I don't know what's going on... I don't feel any pain. I can still feel everything fine, though. Did Crown Clown protect me?"

Allen shook his head. "You hit the exit door and hit the ground hard. There's no way Crown Clown could've protected you from a fall like that." His eyes then narrowed. "Stay right here. I'm going to go finish this."

She grabbed his sleeve. "No, _we're_ finishing this," she corrected sternly. "I'm fine."

"No, it's too risky," Allen told her. "Just stay here-"

"While I do what?" she retorted, standing up and brushing off her pants. "Watch you take on a Noah and a bunch of Akuma alone while I inspect my nails? Not happening."

He pressed his lips together, frowning at her, but was forced to drop their argument as screams echoed throughout the area. They still had a duty to carry out. Although still a bit shaky, she followed after Allen, immediately heading in the opposite direction. They were in the middle of the train; the only way they could provide help would be to split up, as much as she was sure Allen disliked.

She'd never seen so much destruction. Fires blazed as people laid helplessly, some already dead. In one compartment, someone was attempting to provide medical aid. She offered to help, but someone she recognized from earlier when the disaster had first struck had declined, telling her to continue on. In the compartment next door, someone had taken order, directing everyone to clear the way for her, allowing her to pass.

After what seemed like forever, she finally caught up with the Akuma near the back of the train. When she stopped behind it, the demon curiously tipped its head back. Upon recognizing her, it smiled, its teeth glimmering in the sunlight. "Well, well," it mocked while licking its lips, "look who decided to return. Making it easy for us, eh?"

"I highly suggest you take a step away from those people," she replied, avoiding the Akuma's question. She already knew from their last battle that she would need to avoid physical attacks, which would be difficult since it appeared to be a close-ranged fighter.

"And if I don't?"

She thought hard for a moment. "I'll go with you... but only if you step away and let them go."

The Akuma smirked. "Very well. A fair exchange if I say so myself."

The bystanders filed out behind the Akuma, making their way to safety and leaving them alone. The level three Akuma slyly crept towards her, beckoning her to step forward with a finger. She did as she was instructed, and was soon standing before the excited Akuma.

_You know what to do right, Crown Clown?_

She could feel the Akuma breathing on her as it inspected her for any weapons. "Don't try anything funny with me," it hissed in her ear, "because I'll know and kill everyone I just let out myself."

_Ready..._

She gritted her teeth. She had just once chance.

_Now!_

Crown Clown invoked itself, not even hesitating before hardening itself and striking straight through the Akuma. The unexpecting enemy froze, before it fell downwards towards the side. Black blood was leaking from its chest as he rose back up slowly, fury covering its face.

"You brat," it hissed, grasping her around the neck and pulling her up high enough so that her feet dangled uselessly. She struggled for air, making it smile. "You deserve it. I'll make you watch every one of those people suffer a slow and painful death. Just you see." His grip tightened, and she felt herself growing weaker, unable to maintain her Innocence's invocation any longer.

Suddenly, there was a flash of green before a sword sawed through the Akuma, slicing it in half. She fell to the ground, wheezing as her body pumped oxygen back into her lungs.

"Che, useless little Bean Sprout wannabe."

Had she heard them right? But it wasn't Allen or Link.

"Aww, Yuu, that's really cruel! She tricked that level three all by herself."

"Don't call me that, Rabbit!"

She looked up in disbelief, only to see Kanda pointing Mugen threateningly at Lavi. Her eye brows twitched in confusion as she forced herself back into a standing position.

"What are you guys doing here?"


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer** - I don't own _D. Gray-Man_. That and its original characters belong to their respectful owner, Katsura Hoshino.

* * *

Lavi was giving her one of his trademark grins, but Kanda was scowling. "What do you think?" the swordsman snapped, making her flinch. Although offended, she gave no retort. Now was not the time to argue, anyway.

"Link alerted Headquarters of the attack," Lavi informed her. "Komui sent us and Lenalee as backup. Took a while, of course, since Allen's the only one who can make gates and he's in combat."

By estimation, she assumed Allen had followed through with the order to make the gate just minutes ago, when they last split up. "What do we do now?" she asked them, cocking her head to the side out of a force of habit. Much to her annoyance, Kanda rolled his eyes at her before stalking off towards the front of the train. Lavi politely waited for her, leading the way after the Japanese man.

"We left Lenalee and Allen back with Tyki." Lavi told her with a wink, "we can't let our new Exorcist fend for herself now, can we? Especially since the enemy's after you."

That last comment made her stop again. They were only after her, weren't they? It disgusted her how the Earl was willing to kill others just for the sake of capturing her. Clenching her fists, she swore to herself that she wouldn't allow herself to fall into his hands. Quickening her pace, she silently fell into step beside Kanda. She felt his eyes bore into her.

All the passengers must've left by now. Luggage lay forgotten in the aisles, some already being consumed by the fire. They had to climb over the seats in some train cars to avoid the flames, and even then it wasn't enough. The area only continued to grow in destruction as they came closer to where the battlefield was.

She'd been so concerned about Allen and Lenalee's well being that when she arrived, her mind went blank of what to do when she saw they were both alright. From their spot, the three of them watched as Allen and Lenalee stood across the room, watching Tyki closely. No one moved, waiting for the other side to make the first move.

"No matter what," Lavi whispered, "when the first move is made, we'll attack. You know how to use Crown Belt to immobilize Tyki, correct?"

She'd just aim for his wrist, right? She could recall Allen using that tactic in the Ark. As hard as she tried, she couldn't quite place her finger on how it worked. Hadn't it been because Tyki's Dark Matter, which allowed him to 'choose' what he wanted to touch, had no affect with Innocence?

"I think..."

Suddenly, Allen shot forward, Lenalee quickly masking up her surprise with a serious look as she took off after him for backup. Right when Tyki smirked, about to pull a defense move, she aimed at him, claw resting on her arm. Not given much time, she steadied her aim quickly. "_Crown Belt_!" Much to her relief, Crown Belt was successful in wrapping around Tyki's wrists. He gave a tug, nearly pulling her down, but she held her ground as Kanda and Lavi invoked their own Innocence, jumping into action.

With no escape route to take, Tyki could only wait for the attacks to come. All at once, everyone struck the Noah from multiple sides before they regrouped together again. After a moment, Allen turned to look at her, gesturing for her to join them. Releasing Crown Belt, she hurried out of the train and outside where the battle had moved to, fully exposing herself.

It was unnerving to show herself to a Noah who was fully capable of doing anything to her, especially when she was their target. The air felt heavy, almost impossible to breathe in at noticed that she was visibly shaking when she stopped beside Lenalee, but as much as she tried to she found that she couldn't stop herself. Feeling Tyki's eyes on her, she froze, head turning slowly just in time to see him smirk at her.

"Have you come to your senses yet, young lady?"

Allen's gaze tore her attention away. "Sorry," she mumbled, feeling even more uncomfortable. Everything was all her fault, wasn't it? None of this would've happened had she prevented the Earl from seeing her Crown Clown. If only she were stronger. Then she'd be able to correct her own mistake instead of forcing everyone else to.

She gasped softly in surprise when she felt a hand brush against her cheek gently where a bruise was forming. Looking up again, she stared at Allen, speechless. He leaned closer to her, a hand resting on her wrist to keep her still.

"It doesn't still hurt, does it?" he asked her in a soft tone. When she heard him, Lenalee turned sharply, looking at her in concern. "For you, that was a pretty hard hit. Your face is bruised, and I wouldn't be surprised if your back is too, if not scraped."

She pressed her lips together for a moment before she uttered, "I want to continue fighting." She told to him, "I'm supposed to, anyway, aren't I? I was originally assigned to the mission."

"But—"

She interrupted, "I feel fine. Nothing hurts." She pleaded, "please?"

"I hate to interrupt you all," she felt a cold hand wrap around the back of her neck lightly, "but it's time for us to make our leave." His grip tightened, and she saw Allen's eyes darken. Before he could press hard enough for her to lose consciousness, Lenalee attempted to deliver a kick. The Noah only grabbed hold of one of her ankles and fling her in a different direction, although he failed to see Kanda coming at him until the last second. He was forced to let go of her first before blocking Mugen, however. As the Noah stood back up, Madelynn prepared herself, expecting him to come at her now that she was in the battle, but he paused.

"You Exorcists are lucky," he told them, making some of them raise eye brows in confusion. Road's door appeared, and for a moment she was fearful that another Noah would be joining him, but he only stepped into it before the doors closed behind him. She stared in part relief, part bewilderedment, as the door disappeared altogether.

"What was that about?"

"Che." Kanda sheathed his Innocence. "Stupid Noah and their cowardly exits."

As everyone else deactivated their Innocence, she rushed towards Lenalee, helping her up. "Are you alright?" she asked, concerned. Lenalee nodded, smiling at her.

"Yes, I am. Have you seen Link, though?"

Her eyes widened. She'd forgotten all about him in the chaos. "I'll be right back!" she called behind her as she rushed back to the train in search for the man unaccounted for. It took some effort to climb into another train compartment through a broken window, especially since it was made of glass and so she was attempting to cut herself as least as possible. She couldn't help but notice that the shards didn't draw as much blood as she normally would. Thinking about it made her remember when she'd been thrown outside of the train.

Her eye brows furrowed. Was it possible that her body strength was changing? Nah, that was silly. However, that little nagging voice of her's kept her from agreeing completely with that thought. She'd done the impossible before, hadn't she?

She shook those thoughts out of her head, forcing herself to focus on locating Link. Now was not the time to worry about herself. Link's life could be on the line.

"Link?" she called out, pausing for a moment, hoping for a response. After a few moments, she yelled out his name again.

"Right here..."

Spotting the man slouched in one of the seats, she rushed over. "Link, there you are!" She noticed his bloody clothing. "Hold on, I'll go get a first aid kit-"

"There's no need," he replied. "I'll get medical attention back at Headquarters."

She was about to respond, but suddenly felt light-headed and began to sway. He looked at her in concern, making her force a smile. "I'm okay, just…" she trailed off, holding a hand to her head as her knees buckled. When she tried to lower herself to the floor, someone stepped in to help, grabbing hold of her roughly to support her. Raising her head slowly to look at her helper, she blinked. "Kanda?"

"Che, useless." Noticing Allen approach them with a frown, Kanda practically pushed her against the younger man. "You take her, Bean Sprout."

"It's _Allen_. Geez, how many times do I have to tell you that?" His eyes softened when he looked back at her. "You may want to deactivate your Innocence, Mattie. Crown Clown's straining your body because you haven't been an accommodator for very long." He grinned as he added, somewhat teasingly, "of course, if you were to eat more…"

"What do you mean? I deactivated it…" She turned red when she realized she hadn't. "Ooops, sorry." Glancing around, she cocked her head and asked in a puzzled manner when she couldn't find what she was looking for, "where's the gate?"

"I have to deactivate any gates in any unofficial location." He explained, "reason is, if an enemy gets to it, they have access to all of the Order's branches." Right as he finished, Lavi and Kanda approached them, Lavi having retrieved her violin. She blinked in surprise, accepting the instrument, but looking at him questionably.

"It was no problem," he said before she could thank him properly. Before she could ask where Lenalee was, Lavi turned to face Allen. "Lenalee's staying behind for a while to make sure everything's secure around here. I have no idea how the Order's going to explain all of this to the passengers, though."

"I doubt they will," Kanda replied, not unkindly. While it seemed rude, she couldn't help but to understand. The train passengers were better off not knowing of what they'd seen today. One question that'd been lingering in her mind for a long time appeared again.

"Allen," she asked him curiously, "does news spread very much here?"

"Pardon?"

She attempted to rephrase, "when a city is attacked, how many people hear about it?"

"Not very much," he replied. "Normally, people never leave their towns, unless on a rare occasion, in which they travel out only to the next city or two." He thought for a moment. "I mean, people travel. News just doesn't get around very fast."

She nodded in understanding. Where she was from, there were multiple ways to get news out. It'd be impossible for the Catholic Church to keep the war hidden from the public – let alone the government – had it taken place in her time. However, in this time, there was hardly any way to get information out. Well, she supposed it could be done, but people just didn't think about it.

After making a gate, Allen helped Link to his feet. "I have to wait here until Lenalee's done so I can make a gate for her too." He told her, "go ahead and get Link to the infirmary."

Grabbing hold of Link's other arm to support him when Allen let go, she nodded. "Okay." When Kanda and Lavi passed her to enter the Ark, she moved to follow after them, but Allen grabbed her shoulder, holding her back. She turned her head, looking at him curiously.

"Make sure you get checked for injuries," he told her, tone leaving no room for her to complain. "You might not agree, but you did hit your head hard. _I_ would've felt pain from that, most likely, and your body's more fragile than mine."

She nodded. "Okay, I'll make sure I do." Just as she saw Allen sprint in the direction that Lenalee was at, she turned around, facing the Ark's gate. She took a deep breath before stepping through the swirling abyss that she assumed could be counted as a door.

She prayed they still had signs so she could locate Headquarters on her own.

* * *

"It seems that you have a mild concussion."

Madelynn looked up at the woman in surprise. "A mild concussion? Are you sure it's not just a migraine, Matron?"

The Head Nurse shook her head. "It's possible, but I'm not taking that chance. You puking and developing a headache minutes after taking such a big hit to your head is too far out of my comfort zone. You're lucky all you have is a concussion with your fragile body."

She nodded, deciding against arguing with the woman. "So I have to stay up late tonight?"

"Two or three in the morning should do it," she replied. "Now, will that be all, Madelynn?"

Smiling faintly, she nodded. "Yeah, thanks." Hopping off the bed, she paid a quick visit to Link before leaving the Infirmary in search of... well, whoever she happened to run into. She strolled for a while before she got bored and decided to head over to the cafeteria for a late dinner. Exhausted, she ordered a small helping of food before taking a seat next to Lavi. "Can I sit here?" she asked as he turned his head to look at her.

"Mattie!"

Too tired to yell at him for the use of the nickname, she grumbled weakly at him, popping a fish stick into her mouth. When he asked her if she was okay, she nodded. "Yeah, just tired."

"Why don't you sleep?"

"Can't." She emphasized, "I have a concussion."

"Seriously? A _concussion_? You're like the first Exorcist in history to have one of those! Trust me, I'm a Bookman!"

"Not only that, but I'm the first Exorcist from a parallel world. And I'm the first to steal half of a fellow comrade's Innocence as well as some of his own features. I'm just breaking records left and right, aren't I?"

"You're also the first Exorcist to think of the rest of us as two-dimensional characters." He added to tease her with a grin, "wow, aren't you high and mighty."

"I wasn't being high and mighty!" she defended, crossing her arms and huffing. Normally, she would've attempted to sink into her chair, but now that she was long used to the red-haired Bookman, she was beginning to act as her normal self. "I was just... you know, uncomfortable with everything."

For a moment, the pair was quiet, and Madelynn returned to her meal. When she finished, she picked up the ice pack, holding it to the side of her head, where it was hurting the most. Lavi stared at her quizzically, what looked to be fried chicken dangling out of his mouth with his fork in hand.

"You really hit your head that hard?"

"If I didn't hit my head so hard, I wouldn't be sitting here with an ice pack on my head, nor would I have vomitted."

"You're always in pain, I swear," he teased.

"If only you knew," she muttered. He wasn't that far off. Her left eye ached quite a bit; it wasn't uncommon for her to need to make a trip down to the hospital ward for an ice pack. Now that the skin that had separated when she was first cursed had mended back together, it was no longer the whole left cheek that hurt, but just the eye itself. Every once in a while, the area where her scar was would ache, but she assumed it would disappear with time as it healed more.

She was torn from her thoughts when Lavi stood, flashing her a grin. "Well, I need to go get some studying done before Gramps kills me for slacking off. See ya, Mattie." And with that, he was off, and she was alone once more.

Staying awake proved to be difficult for her, and the urge to risk it all and just sleep became harder and harder to argue against as she grew even more tired. The only way to combat against the will to sleep was to journey through the Order, especially long after everyone else had gone to sleep. The halls were eerily quiet as she passed through them, some having that dungeon feel.

When it came time that she was allowed to fall asleep, she collapsed onto her bed, too tired to dress herself in the single nightgown she had, given to her out of curtesy by Lenalee. Forcing her feet out of her boots, too exhasted to unlace them, she flopped backwards onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling.

She inwardly sighed as she remembered about Allen. Whether or not she wanted to, she would have to face him eventually. However, a conversation with him would be useless until she figured out her own feelings for him. She was uncertain of what to do. How was she supposed to know what she was feeling?

"They really need a book on these kinds of girly things," she muttered to herself, turning onto her side. She was much too tired to pull her hair out, otherwise the Order might've found her bald by morning.


	14. Chapter 14

_**Author's Note**_ - Here's chapter fourteen, with many thanks to my awesome BETA, **Ozuchi-Kozuchi**, for helping me out. If it wasn't for them, I'd have most likely spent more time sweating over Emilia and Miranda's dialogue than I did. What can I say? Thanks again, everyone! I promise to include some more action soon for all of you craving it.

**Disclaimer** - I do not own _D. Gray-Man_. All characters mentioned (save for Madelynn, of course) and the original plot are property of their respectful owner, Katsura Hoshino.

* * *

"Umm, Miss Emilia?"

She'd met Emilia for the first time in person a few weeks after her arrival in Headquarters. Somehow, even though she'd been too afraid to speak with anyone at first, she'd found it comfortable around the woman. Ever since they'd met, Emilia had always seen her as a person and never as anything else. And it made it easier to live those first few months, being able to be with someone who didn't see her as the strange, suspicious girl who had mysteriously shown up and become an accomondator for an Innocence that had already chosen someone else. Even now, the woman was smiling at her warmly.

"Yes? What is it, Madelynn?"

She couldn't believe she was doing this. And much less, she couldn't believe she was doing it _here_ of all places. It didn't seem right. It felt wrong, but as she thought deeper it almost felt... right.

"I... I have a question," she murmured. Emilia smiled at her. In response, she hung her head, staring at the floor. It unnerved her, feeling Emilia's eyes on her. The lack of Timothy's presence calmed her nerves slightly, but it sure didn't decrease the rate at which she felt her heart racing. Taking a deep breath, she squeaked out quietly, but loud enough for her to hear, "how do you know if you like someone?"

If possible, she began to feel even _more_ stupid when she looked up and caught Emilia's gaze. The woman was staring at her, wide-eyed. Her frown deepened even more.

Emilia must've understood her dilemma. Gently grabbing her arm, she began to lead her away in a teacher-like manner. "Now, now, it's nothing to be embarrassed about. There's nothing Jerry's hot cocoa can't fix!"

Once dragged (literally) to the cafeteria and seated at a table in a far back corner, Madelynn found herself sipping away at the warm beverage while waiting for Emilia to speak. "There's no general list of symptoms that point to a person liking a particular person," the older woman casually informed her gently. "Of course, if you liked someone they would most likely make you feel happy whenever you're around them. As you think about them, your heart may quicken, or your hands may become clammy."

"I guess..." Madelynn pushed her remaining worries to the back of her mind, forcing a smile. "Thank you, Miss Emilia."

"It's my pleasure to help." Glancing at the clock, the woman stood quickly. "I'm sorry. I wish I could speak with you more, Madelynn, but I really need to go find Timothy and give him his vocabulary test."

She forced a smile as she nodded. "It's okay, Miss Emilia. Thank you for your time."

"It's my pleasure to help."

She finished the rest of her hot chocolate not too long after Emilia left. After returning her dish to the front, she was out in the hallways once more, brooding over her thoughts. As much as she appreciated the older woman's time, it hadn't seemed to help her at all. If anything, she was now not only clueless about her emotions, but completely and utterly confused.

Turning a corner, she was so engrossed in her thoughts that she failed to see someone there and collided right with them. The person had been carrying a stack of papers, which were now scattered over the floor. Right away, she leaped to pick them up. "I'm sorry!" she apologized. "I was thinking too much. I should've been paying more attention. These weren't in any order, were they?" She froze when she realized there were page numbers on the bottom.

"No, it's my fault. I'm so sorry!" the person wailed, making Madelynn look up. The voice was familiar. "I can never get anything right, even here. I swear I'm going to be fired soon..."

Carrying the disorganized stack to a nearby bench, she let out a deep sigh. Today was going to be a _long_ day. Much to her disdain, sighing didn't help the situation any; Miranda began to fret even more. Quickly, they began to sort through the pile of papers and put them back in their proper order.

While her attention was fixated on the task ahead of her, she didn't notice Miranda give her a curious, almost pitying look. "So you're stuck on your first crush?" Eyes widening in surprise, Madelynn couldn't prevent her face from reddening in embarrassment. "Oh, no! I'm sorry! I didn't wish to anger you, I swear!"

"No, no, you didn't make me mad." She rubbed the back of her head. "It's just... awkward. And embarrassing."

"If it makes you feel any better," Miranda told her kindly with a small smile, "everyone always experiences it."

"Yeah, but I don't want to," she muttered, drawing her legs closer to her chest. "I don't want to be a girly-girl. Much less a _fangirl_."

It was already too late, she mused. She was already one.

"I've had crushes before," Miranda told her. "It wasn't the end of the world."

She blinked in surprise. "You had a crush?"

Miranda smiled cheerfully. "Yes, I did. He told me I was a failure and rejected me."

She was pretty sure she sweat dropped, as physically impossible as it sounded. It sounded so Miranda-like, yet so unfair at the same time. It had surprised her for a moment how human-like Miranda was. Katsura only showed her 'crazy' side, she'd come to realize. It was a shame; readers would never see how wonderful of a person she really was.

"He was a fool," she found herself saying, but she certainly didn't disagree. "You are a strong person." Without even knowing it, she spoke, blowing her cover, "I mean, to get fired a hundred times is pretty unfortunate, and yet you've never truly given up. And now look at you. Not just anyone is chosen to be an Exorcist; it takes a special person."

Miranda stared at her wide-eyed. "No one's ever called me 'special' before." She paused. "Well, my father once called me special before he took me to the doctor's..." Madelynn watched as she shook her head, likely to shake off the thoughts clouding her head. "But really, why are you afraid to tell Allen how you feel?"

Her eyes widened in surprise. "Wh—What? How'd you know it was Allen?"

Miranda smiled innocently. "A woman can easily tell. You seem so content when you're with him; so comfortable. He seems happy with you too."

"I guess." She frowned. "I just don't want to lose him as a friend. If he rejects me, he'd know how I really feel about him, and then it'd probably just be too awkward."

"No one's pushing you." Miranda gave her a smile; one a mother would likely give her child. "But you really should."

Madelynn nodded as she stood back up, gently placing the stack of papers in Miranda's hands. "Okay." She bowed her head slightly to show her gratitude. "Thank you, Miranda." When she met the woman's eyes again, she could see the slight surprise in her eyes, reminding her of just how little experience the older woman really had with people. What she wasn't expecting, however, was for Miranda's eyes to take a more firm shape.

"No," she replied, "thank you. For making me feel useful for once." Her eyes softened once again as she remembered the task she had yet to finish. "Well then, it looks like we both have things to settle."

Madelynn nodded, forcing a smile. "Yes, it does."

* * *

Her plans didn't work out exactly as planned. As it turned out, Allen and Lenalee weren't back yet. Of course, that put quite the damper on things. She was perfectly capable handling herself without Allen's presence, but in this case it was _him_ she needed to talk to. Her patience was beginning to wear thin, something that never really occurred with her.

"It's just like my luck for him to be gone the moment I actually _want_ to talk with him," she muttered darkly. It'd been a while since she last tried to push him away, but it still felt ironic. It was just like reality to separate them both when she really needed to talk to him. As much as she hated to admit it, though, she'd just have to wait.

In the end, she decided to handle delivering coffee to the science department. For the past few weeks, she'd been doing it along with Lenalee, but hadn't really thought of it until now. She felt out of place as she entered the kitchen, where she informed Jerry of what she would be doing, but as soon as his face lit up in delight and he excitedly set out to show her where all the materials that she would be needing were located, she felt a lot better.

As she expected, those from the original Headquarters before it was destroyed perked up at the arrival and smell of coffee, some even leaping out of the seats and rushing to her. Immediately, she set to work, pouring coffee into cups and handing them to the eager scientists.

"Allen and Lenalee aren't back yet?" Johnny asked her in slight surprise. Some of the scientists grumbled as she shook her head.

"Why haven't they come back yet?" She told Johnny and Reever, "I was told this morning they finished by nightfall yesterday."

"Allen can't get the 'okay' to create a gate because Link isn't there." Reever told her bitterly. She stared at him in disbelief.

"They're stranded there because Link's injured? That's crazy! Who knows how long it will be until the Matron releases him? They can't expect them to just walk when they could easily use the Ark."

Reever replied, "at this rate, I'm pretty sure they'd give anything to walk home. Central's ordered them to stay put where they're at. They say walking will risk Allen turning on them, though I fail to see how that would make a difference with him just standing about for the next week or however long they make them station there. They've even had the nerve to give Lenalee the standing order to kill Allen should she deem him a threat."

"Wait, none of this makes sense. From the outside, gates can only connect to the Ark; if he wants to go somewhere else, he has to create a gate from _inside_ the Ark. If he has that restriction and guards are always inside the Ark at all times, how is it more of a risk?"

"That's a very good point," Russell stated, the other two nodding in agreement.

"But ever since you arrived here, Central's gotten stricter. And the fact that they think Allen's a huge threat hasn't helped him any. While the rest of us know Allen's solely loyal to the Order, Central thinks otherwise. You arriving here through the Ark doesn't rest his case any. I heard Leverrier's interrogated Allen about it twice already."

Hearing that made her blood boil. It was one thing to be suspicious, but to make life harder for Allen because of _her_ was another thing. For all they knew, it could have been her. Clenching her fists, she turned to face the door.

"I need to go," she told them, trying not to show her anger. "I need to talk to Komui."

Johnny blinked. "Huh?"

She smiled to assure him. "I'll be right back." Without waiting for their approval, she left, making her way towards Komui's office, but not before checking on Link. When she found that he was still admissioned under the Matron's care, she immediately had her mind set on her next decision. The hallways weren't as packed as they'd been earlier now that people had eaten their breakfast and were attending to their duties, so it was much quicker to where the Supervisor was located, several stories up.

He seemed puzzled by her presence, but nevertheless invited her in. "Oh, Madelynn. Come in, come in. What may I help you with?"

She took a deep breath.

"I need to speak with Leverrier."


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer** - I do not own _D. Gray-Man_. The original plot and its characters are property of Katsura Hoshino.

* * *

For a moment, the air was tense in the room as Komui stared at her in mild surprise, his mouth hanging open just slightly. The pen he was holding dropped from his hand, but she maintained her gaze. She was serious, and didn't plan on giving up so easily. If she had to, she would march over to Central herself. It only seemed right; Allen was always bending over his back to keep _her_ safe. Now it was her turn to return the favor.

"You want to speak with Leverrier?" Komui asked her in shock. "Why?"

"Yes." She replied, adding, "now."

Komui let out a long sigh, but nevertheless complied with her wishes, reaching for the phone. "Alright, but I don't guarantee this will be pleasant." He began to dial Central, where he explained everything to what appeared to be a secretary. After a few minutes, he hung up. Bridget, his assistant, approached him.

"Is Leverrier coming?"

"Yes," Komui replied. "I need a room prepared immediately for the meeting."

"Understood." The woman left, off to complete her task. After the door shut, Komui looked at her again.

"He'll be here in an hour."

A small smile appeared on her face. "I see, thank you." Turning away, she began to walk away towards the exit of the room. She hurried down to the cafeteria, where she was met with the beaming face of Jerry, who was ecstatic as always to see her.

"Good afternoon, Sweetie! You skipped out on breakfast this morning. Are you feeling okay?"

Madelynn blushed. "Yes, I was just busy. Say," she leaned closer to the counter as she asked curiously, "how quick can you bake?"

"Why, quicker than the average human, of course!"

It was an ability of his that she'd never quite questioned. Nor did she plan to now that she had such a large appetite. She smiled, though a bit slyly.

"Think you can help me bake something for someone in an hour?"

The section of the Order that she was in was vacant, likely from the lack of meetings. She was sitting patiently on a bench in the area she was instructed to wait at until she was escorted to where Leverrier would speak with her, the baked good that Jerry had generously prepared right beside her. It was dead silent, allowing her to work on calming her nerves as she thought over carefully what she would say.

Her first meeting with the man had not gone so pleasant. She had no doubts he would still hold a grudge against her for her actions that day, let alone for defending Allen. If anything, she expected him to judge her by it. It would make things harder for her, but she knew there was nothing else that could be done.

She sighed. She'd been waiting for a long time.

"Madelynn Scott."

Hearing her name, she looked up, finding a member of CROW looking at her. By the tone, it was obvious that they were male. She stood silently, grabbing what Jerry had prepared before nodding at the man to show that she was ready.

"Please follow me."

The room was not too far away from where she'd been waiting. It was just a few halls away, making it a quick walk. She stopped before the door, taking a deep breath before she heaved the heavy door open, letting it close behind her as she entered.

Seeing Leverrier snarling at her made her flinch slightly, but she forced herself to straighten her posture. She wouldn't allow herself to crumble before this man again, but she planned to approach him much differently.

"Good afternoon," she greeted politely, trying to sound as generous as possible. "I understand that you are a busy person and are sacrificing quite a bit of your time, so I made this for you as thanks."

As she held the platter out in front of him, she could see his eyes widen slightly, out of surprise more than anything. A few seconds passed before he tore it out of her hands roughly, setting it in his lap before tearing the tin foil off. He stared at the frosted pumpkin bars in confusion before he demanded, enraged, "what is this?"

"Pumpkin spice bars," she replied, still working hard to keep her smile. "It's a family recipe my mother taught me when I was very young."

"Enough of this." He set the platter off to the side, but not before taking one of the bars and biting into it. "What do you want?"

"I want you to let Allen and Lenalee come home," she said sternly, though not unkindly. His head snapped back to glare at her, making her blink.

"And why would I do that?" he snarled. He stood quickly, and began to pace around her slowly, much like a wild animal studying its prey. "In case you are too stupid to realize it, Allen Walker is the _Fourteenth_. Or do you dare to tell me again that he is not?"

Although her mind screamed to defend the boy, she forced herself not to. "I understand your concern," she said, raising her voice when he opened his mouth to speak again, "_however_, you are going too far."

She took a large step back when he moved closer to her. "In case you've forgotten your place," he hissed, "you are an _Exorcist_. You exist for one purpose only and that is to _fight_ scum like him. Do you hear me? If you give me any further reason to believe he is brainwashing you, I _will_ separate both of you permanently!"

"He isn't brainwashing me!" she said before she could stop herself. "I'm just telling you that I think you're going a little too far not letting him come back."

"If I had it my way," he snarled, "that _Noah_ wouldn't have ever left Link's side. But since he has, he's just going to have to stay there until Link is well enough to return to get him, won't he?"

"You're just doing that because the Ark brought me here, though!"

She cried out as he struck her across the face, knocking her down. While she'd built up a better tolerance to pain than she had before, it still hurt, making her cringe as her face stung. "Why yes, I am. Or are you here to tell me to correct my thinking too?"

She growled, pushing herself back onto her feet. "Actually," she replied back through gritted teeth, "as a matter of fact, I _am_. There is no logical way that Allen could've made that gate. Are you telling me that, even though he's _never_ been to the world in which that I came, that he's the one responsible for making a gate that wasn't even connected shortly after? In case you've forgotten sir, Allen cannot make gates to places he's never been to before."

She couldn't believe she was doing this. Back-talking to an _adult_ of all people. Everything she'd planned before seemed to have gone out the window now, it seemed.

"Oh, really?" He grabbed hold of her jacket, jerking her forward harshly. "Then I don't suppose you have anyone else in mind to take responsibility for it, do you?" When she didn't respond right away, he gave her a violent shake. "Well?"

She didn't, really, so she blurted out the first person that came to mind. "Me."

Almost as soon as she spoke, Leverrier's eyes narrowed, only for a terrified scream to rip through the room. She cocked her head backwards, finding Miranda at the entrance of the room, eyes wide as she stared at the scene in front of her. Madelynn felt her body freeze in place as the sound of footsteps filled her ears.

"Miranda?" It was Lavi.

Just as Lavi arrived at the scene, Leverrier grew even more enraged. "This is a private meeting. What business do you two have here?"

"Actually," Lavi tonelessly informed him, "I am a Bookman, and as a Bookman I have the right to come to any meeting I find important to record. Though, I'd say it looks like you're hosting anything but a meeting."

It was now or never, she realized. Leverrier still didn't look convinced, and seemed about ready to leave at any moment. "It couldn't have been Allen!" she cried out, still in his tight hold. "He wasn't even on the Ark at the time. When I met him, I was trying to escape and he was still in the church."

Leverrier growled before he shoved her harshly. She winced as her body collided with the hard floor. Lavi rushed in, intervening by stepping between her and him. "That's enough," he said sternly. Leverrier ignored him completely, his eyes hardening on her once again.

"Do not waste my time again, Scott. And since it seems that you have extra time on your hands to disrespect others and waste others' time, perhaps I can help you fill some of that up by assigning you extra work for the next few weeks. Starting tomorrow you will keep yourself busy by doing odd jobs around here as punishment."

"What should we do with Allen Walker and Lenalee Lee, sir?" the CROW member asked him. "The Supervisor of Headquarters wishes for them to return immediately."

"Fine." Leverrier glared at her once more. "Tell Link a full report on what's happened. I want a full questionnaire prepared for Scott immediately."

Almost as soon as he left, Lavi sprang to his feet, helping her stand back up. "What was that all about?" he asked her, making her stare at the ground nervously.

"I wasted his time...?" she offered sheepishly. She made an effort to leave but he grabbed her arm, pulling her back.

"Not until you tell me what that was all about. Judging by what happened, it looks like it was _you_ who called the meeting, but why?"

"I heard that Allen was getting hassled because of how I came here," she replied. "I couldn't just let him get blamed for everything when it wasn't even his fault."

After she finished speaking, she left the room, making her way through the maze of hallways she had yet to see until today. After a few minutes, she heard Lavi fall into step beside her again. It was obvious by the way that he refused to let her get ahead or fall behind that he wasn't intending to let her wander by herself.

"My turn for a question now." She tilted her body slightly so that she could look at him better. "Why exactly did you come to the meeting?"

"I don't know."

She cocked her head. "Oh, really? So you just _happened_ to be walking by, then?"

"Okay, fine. I admit it. I heard about it. I was going to record what I could of it, seeing as _you _requested the meeting. I just don't get it, though. Why would you offer yourself up like that?" Before she could respond he added, "I'm a Bookman. I notice things that others do not see right off the bat. I _know_ it wasn't for yourself, especially since you've dug the hole yourself. The only logical explanation would be that you see yourself as one of us now."

She looked up in surprise, embarrassed that he'd noticed such a thing, until she saw the hopeful look on his face. "You want me to join you guys?"

"Why wouldn't we?" He seemed to notice something as his face took a look of understanding. "Listen, it doesn't matter where you come from. I mean, look at all of us. We're all different, even if we're from the same so-called 'dimension'. You're just as human as us, so why should it matter?" He grinned. "You're still our Mattie."

Her face lit up. "You're right! I mean, we're all three-dimensional here. _D. Gray-Man_ was just like a huge, extensive history book!" She paused. "Did you just call me 'Mattie'?"

"Took you long enough to notice," Lavi replied in fits of laughter, before continuing along again, leaving her to scramble after him. Already fuming, she was about to call him on it when another voice masked over her own.

"Lavi, Madelynn!"

She turned, ready to greet Lenalee upon hearing her voice, but jumped as she realized Allen was already standing in front of her. She smiled nervously as her stomach once again began to fill with butterflies, as much as it embarrassed her to think about it. "Oh, hello Allen."

"Hi, Ma—is that a bruise?" He pointed to her cheek.

"Eh?" She then remembered that Leverrier had hit her. "Oh, well if it's a dark purple color, then we would call that a 'bruise'."

Allen didn't laugh or make any acknowledgement of anything she had just said. "Where did you get it from?" he challenged, crossing his arms, though she could tell he was concerned. Which was why she refused to tell him. If he ever found out Leverrier had done it...

"I was just being clumsy again," she lied. "It doesn't even hurt, so don't worry about it, okay?"

"That's nice," he replied. "Now what _really_ happened?"

"Okay, fine. I'll tell you. I just didn't want you to get mad..." she trailed off as she heard footsteps approaching them. She turned to see Link who, remarkably, had recovered quite a bit. It didn't take long for her eyes to travel over to the CROW member and see that he was holding all the paperwork. Her mouth dropped at the massive amount.

That mound looked a _lot_ bigger in person.

"Link? What are you doing out of the hospital so soon?" Allen asked, dropping their subject for the moment.

"That is none of your concern, Walker." Link then turned to her. "Are you ready?"

"What?" Allen's eyes were as large as dinner plates. "Why are you torturing her with all that paperwork?"

"As I've just said, Walker, it is none of your concern."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Madelynn grumbled as Link's eyes laid on her once again. She turned to face the three, smiling apologetically at Allen and Lenalee, who were deeply confused. "Sorry. I'll talk to you two later, alright?"

After a moment, she turned back and moved in order to follow after Link, but felt a gloved hand grasp her own. She turned her head, finding Allen there, staring at her in confusion still. He seemed to be studying her face, searching for anything that would tell him why she was filling out paperwork. Smiling in reassurance, she squeezed his hand reassuringly as she murmured quietly to him.

"It'll be alright. I promise."

* * *

_**Author's Note**_- A lot of people who reviewed expressed their interest in Madelynn chewing Leverrier out. Truthfully, however, Madelynn is a timid and polite person. Which is exactly why she approached him a little differently this time and didn't actually start raising her voice until she needed to get her point across. Don't worry, though. It's just another characteristic of her's that will develop overtime. She'll eventually gain the sharp edge all of you are wanting; time just has to mold it first.


	16. Chapter 16

_**Author's Note**_ - Sorry, this came out a little later than I planned. On top of being busy, I had a lot of trouble writing this last section on this chapter. Many thanks to **Ozuchi-**Kozuchi, my wonderful BETA, for kindly going over everything again when I completely scratched a whole chunk and started over.

Unfortunately, however, I am back in school now, meaning that I will probably return to bi-weekly updates once again. Thank you for all your reviews and patience, though. I'll do my best to keep updating.

**Disclaimer** - I do not own _D. Gray-Man_. The plot and its original characters are property of Katsura Hoshino.

* * *

The library was completely vacant, save for her and Link, as she filled out the papers she was expected to answer. It was so silent, it was almost unbearable to sit there in that chair, but she knew she had no other choice. All she could do was ignore the obnoxious ticking of the clock that was beginning to drive her up a wall and instead focus on the papers in front of her. The quicker she finished and got out there, the better.

Led scratched against paper. Pages turned. Madelynn wasn't quite sure how long she'd been at this, but she didn't dare take her eyes off of the paper in front of her as she continued to write while Link occupied himself with his book. Although it was hard to not sigh and hope for the papers to disappear, she knew it wasn't happening anytime soon.

Besides, it was better than a verbal interrogation.

Even though the stack was smaller than what Allen had to deal with - thank God - it was still tiring. Her wrist was sore, and her head was beginning to feel like dead weight as she rested it on her hand. The questions were endless, it seemed. Completely unrelated. They'd gone as far as asking about her personal life back at home. It wasn't even any of their business, she felt, but knew she needed to write at least _something_. She kept it as short and to the point as possible.

She was a single child living with her mother in Enumclaw. When thinking vaguely, that was all she was. Her life wasn't glamorous, but it certainly wasn't poor and pitiful either. She was perfectly happy with it. She was loved by others, and she loved them just as much.

For the first time, she could actually _understand_ how it felt to be in Allen's shoes. She could understand why he'd been frustrated. She was too.

"Madelynn," Link said, making her jump, "you have been staring off into space without writing anything for a full three minutes. Is there something I should know about?"

Shaking her head, she replied. "It's nothing. I was just thinking, that's all."

"The questions are straight forward," he pointed out. "There is no reason to ponder over them."

"It's hard to think on an empty stomach," Allen's voice cut in, before a plate full of fish sticks slid across the table, coming to a stop just beside her. She looked up at him, astonished by his presence. He only smiled warmly before setting down a cup of water and taking the seat next to her.

"Whoa, whoa," she spoke up, snatching the plate before Link could even think to take it from her. Biting into a fish stick, she told him, "these questions are getting harder and harder to answer. After using the Ark as a way of transportation for forever, I'm not even sure I quite remember exactly how it felt to ride in a car. Food now, punishment later. Make that two-week odd job thing into four weeks. I have fish sticks. You can't rain on my parade."

Link and Allen exchanged glances for a moment. "I don't know what she was rambling about," Link told Allen flatly before the younger man could question him.

"I'm used to her slang," Allen replied. "She's saying she's eating whether you like it or not, even if you make her do odd jobs. What I don't get is this 'parade' slang."

"It's a metaphor," she informed him just as she reached for another fish stick. "I'm happy. Nothing you do is going to change that."

"But if it rains on your parade, won't you get wet?" Allen asked. She had a fishy feeling he was being dead serious, mostly because he had that innocent look on his face.

"Nah," she replied, "my clowns brought umbrellas."

He paused. "Clowns? At a parade? Since when?"

"I don't know. They didn't have that on the Internet when I was researching clowns..."

"Yes, but what if it's windy?"

"Ahh, but my clowns of planned ahead, Allen. Those umbrellas are made of steel."

"That may be so, but what are you going to do about lightning?"

She let out a long sigh. She really had no clue, but she wasn't about to let him win, even if he wasn't challenging her. "They're lightning proof."

Link, probably fed up with them, promptly stood up and proceeded to the bathroom. She stared quizzically at the spot he'd vacated for a moment before she felt Allen staring at her and looked up, smiling nervously. She sunk back in her seat as he let out a long sigh.

"Mattie," surprisingly, he didn't look angry, but instead confused, "why did you do all of that?"

"I... I just didn't want them to blame you anymore," she mumbled. "If anything, it's _my_ fault. _I'm_ the one who walked into the Ark, even when I realized it wasn't the room I was looking for. I... I really don't know why I did it anymore. The Ark was just _there_. _Of_ _course_ I realize it was silly for me to think my friends could set up such a prank in so little time, but what else was I supposed to think?" She clutched her hair, lying her head down on the table. "I just don't know _anything_ anymore. Why did it have to be me? What good am I as an Exorcist? I can't do anything right!" She buried her face in her arms, trying to not to show Allen that she was crying, but she knew it was no use. "I just want to go home," she murmured, clenching her fists. A hand immediately grabbed hold of her own, squeezing it tightly and making her blink in surprise.

"Mattie." Upon hearing him speak, she rose her head slightly, just enough to look at him. His voice had dropped almost to a whisper, but she could tell by his tone and frown that he had not liked what she'd said. She was about to speak when he reached forward, pulling her back up from her position and resting his hands on her shoulders to keep her still. She felt stunned as he merely stood there, not even looking at her, his eyes hiding behind his bangs.

"Allen?" she whispered, shakily, bracing herself to be yelled out. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said those things. I didn't mean it that way."

"Yes, you did," he replied, and she could feel his grip tighten. "But why? You keep building all of these walls around you. I always think that I've pulled you out of your shell, but then you put up another wall." He pulled her into a hug. "You don't have to do this to yourself, Mattie. We're all here." He squeezed her left hand with his own. "Crown Clown and I have always been here."

Slowly, she gave in, resting her head on his shoulder, sinking into his comfort. "I'm sorry," she murmured, squeezing his hand in return.

Allen nodded, reaching for a fish stick when she still refused to remove herself from her current position. He smiled, somewhat playfully. "Though, you may want to hurry up and eat your fish sticks before—" he was cut short as he suddenly found the food stuffed into his mouth whole. Although she was trying hard not to, she was smirking slightly.

"That," she told him, "was for calling me 'Mattie', _Beanie_."

At first, she thought his eyes grew wide from her usage of his nickname, but then he immediately cried out, "hot, hot, hot! How do you eat those that hot? That killed my taste buds!"

She smiled slyly. "Jerry always makes sure they're hot from the oven for me." She slid the small bowl beside the plate closer to him. "That's why I always dip mine in tartar sauce." Any sadness she still felt drained instantly as she doubled over, laughing. "You should've seen your face!" Sighing with satisfaction, she picked up her pencil again, grabbing another sheet from the pile of unfinished papers that was slowly disappearing. With a small smile, however, she added, "but thank you, Allen."

Just as Link returned, she'd settled down again and was working on finishing up what she had left. She pushed all of her other thoughts aside, instead focusing just on the task in front of her. Surprisingly, Allen didn't even touch her fish sticks, letting her eat them while he stared off into space, obviously left with his thoughts.

It wasn't much more than an hour that she finished. When she looked up, she found that Link had dozed off, and Allen was staring at his feet. She raised an eye brow, tapping him on the shoulder to catch his attention, but he only stood quietly, holding out a hand to her. She blinked, but accepted the gesture anyway, following him towards the door as he continued to pull her. As soon as they stepped out of the library, however, she pulled away from him.

It was now or never, she decided. Link wasn't present, making the present time more appropriate to tell him how she felt. An uneasy feeling settled in her stomach as she swallowed nervously. If possible, she felt even more dense as he stared at her quizzically as she racked her mind for anything relatively intelligent to say. What was she supposed to say, anyway? She had no idea, but she was pretty certain she was going to sound anything other than bright; in fact, she was probably going to sound even more strange than she did when she got carried away and acted a little hyper earlier before her meltdown.

Taking a deep breath, she pushed aside all of the fears that clouded her thoughts. "I like you!" they both cried out simultaneously, though unexpectedly, their voices mending as one. If anything, the situation just got even more awkward.

Allen was blinking rapidly, and by the looks of it he seemed to be trying to comprehend that they'd both just confessed. "Wait... what?" He breathed a sigh of relief, making her raise an eye brow. "I don't get women," he mumbled.

"Pardon?"

"How long have you had a crush on me?"

She paused, trying to think, before she gave a shrug. "I don't know. I started feeling... different around you a few days ago, so I asked women for advice." There was another awkward silence before she muttered, attempting to take the attention off her, "you?"

Allen rubbed his head nervously. "I didn't really notice, really. I don't even know how it happened, either... it just did." He paused for a moment as he thought. "I've always been... curious about you, I guess."

"Curious?" she repeated. "You didn't find it odd that me, a _girl_, was dressed as _you_? Based on everyones' reactions, I assumed you thought I was some spy for the Earl doing a horrible imitation of you."

She stared at him like he'd gone mad when he laughed. _Laughed_. What was so funny about that? "I wasn't really sure what to make of you at first, honestly," he admitted. "I mean, here you were, dressed _exactly_like me and it was obvious that you knew who we were. Then, at lunch when we wanted to see your real identity and you went to the bathroom, you never came out and Lenalee had to go in to see if you were alright. Next thing I know, you _really_ have a scar - _my_ scar - and white hair."

She blushed lightly. "Sorry," she apologized.

"It's not your fault," he replied, lightly tracing the mark on her cheek with his finger. "I just wish Crown Clown didn't give you it."

"It's fine." She lied, "it doesn't bother me." The last thing she wanted was to make him feel even more guilty about it.

"Yes, it does. I've seen you flinch at times."

Her gaze lowered to the floor, where she stared at the pattern. "You blame yourself, don't you?" she asked him softly, unconsciously rubbing her left arm. There was a silence that followed, and she began to wonder just what the older Exorcist was thinking.

"Why wouldn't I?" he responded, voice just as quiet. "It feels wrong, making you fight like this. To us, it's nothing different. This lifestyle is rough. It doesn't bother most of us, since we've always had it rough and only have the Order to call 'home'. But you're different. You have your own home and family. Of course you'd want to go back. After all," he forced a smile, "we're not _really_ supposed to know each other, right?"

Somehow, it stung. No, scratch that. It _hurt_. She swallowed hard, clutching her arm tightly, attempting to seek comfort, but she found none. She bit her lip, forcing herself to let it sink in. She'd said it herself, hadn't she? Of course he would say such things. She'd said them herself.

So why did it hurt so much to hear them?

"Mattie?"

She shook her head, taking a step back. No, she couldn't do this. She couldn't change her mind now that he'd come to terms with it. It would be better in the end, wouldn't it? She was going to have to leave anyway, after all. She couldn't get attached. What was she thinking, telling him she liked him?

"I'm sorry," she croaked. "I'm so sorry."

"Huh? Mattie? What do you mean?"

She couldn't bring herself to speak. She was too ashamed. Here she was, about to tell someone she planned to leave later on that she loved them. Well, maybe not _love_, but it was close enough. A crush, although merely an infatuation with someone, eventually led to something much deeper, didn't it?

There was a sharp pain in her left arm, no doubt Crown Clown's way of expressing its anger. _I'm sorry,_ she tried to tell it. _I can't do this. Not to Allen. It'll hurt him even more. It's for the best._ Her Innocence only responded to that by making her arm throb once more, making her cringe.

**Don't be stupid!** Crown Clown snapped at her, rather flinched. Never, in the few times she'd heard the Innocence try to talk to her, had Crown Clown been angry with her.

_I'm not being stupid!_

**Well, you certainly aren't thinking. Use your head for once!**

"Listen," she spoke, "I _know_ I'm hurting you, Allen, and I'm really sorry. The truth is, I really like you too. But you're right; I'm not like you guys. Back at home, there's a lot of people waiting for me to return, and although they'll have to wait a while, the right thing is for me to let them know I'm okay." Gently, she took hold of his hands. "You see, children don't have as much freedom back home as they do here. I'm not legally an adult yet, so I can't make the decision of where I live; it's up to my mother." She forced a smile. "But I can tell you right now that you'll fall in love with someone someday. She'll be a very lucky woman, too."

Allen blinked at her. "Really?"

She nodded. "Of course. You're really well-mannered, and caring. No wonder so many girls in the twenty-first century adore you. You might have more than Kanda," a devilish grin appeared on his face, "although I don't really count how many you guys have. Seriously, though. A girl would have to be brain-dead to turn you down." She cocked her head to the side as he crossed his arms. "What?"

"Then quit being brain-dead."

"I'm not-"

"Yes, you are," he told her. As she reddened, he let out a sigh, running a hand through his hair. "Mana once taught me something about love... hey, don't give me that face! He taught me other things besides to never give up and keep walking too, you know."

"Sorry," she apologized. "I've just never seen you as the romantic type."

"Oh, believe me, I'm not. I was a stubborn kid." He smiled softly. "But he taught me something really important."

"What?"

"No matter what happens, love will never die. I mean, look at me. Mana's been gone for a few years now, but I still haven't forgotten him. In fact, I still love him." He took a step forward, grabbing hold of her hands, as she'd let go. "No matter what happens, it will always be okay. I understand that you have to go home because there are people waiting for you. And I understand that when that time comes, I will have to let you go, but it will be alright. You can keep trying to suppress how you feel, Mattie, but you can't stop yourself from feeling a certain way. I'm sure you've already figured that out before when you tried to put walls up around yourself."

She gave him a weak smile. "Mana is very thoughtful-mmph!" she was cut off guard as he pressed his lips against her own lightly for a quick moment before he pulled her into a hug. At first, she only stood frozen in his hold, too shocked to even speak, but when time seemed to move once again, she laid her head on his shoulder.

"Your lips taste like bread crumbs, you know that?" she heard him mutter, making her chuckle.

"So? Your lips taste like mitarashi sauce."

* * *

  
_**Author's Note**_ - Sorry if it's not the best. I haven't had very much experience with writing romance. Thank you for reading, though!


	17. Chapter 17

_**Author's Note**_ - Hi, everyone! I forgot to mention it in my last update, but as some of you have already noticed, we've hit a hundred reviews. Thank you very much everyone who has reviewed. I love hearing your feedback, so I hope you all continue to review.

**Disclaimer** - I don't own _D. Gray-Man_. The original plot and its characters belong to their respectful owner, Katsura Hoshino.

* * *

When Madelynn woke up early that morning, a tremendous amount of light was pouring into her room, despite the curtains being there. Curious, she slowly slipped out of her bed, stretching as she walked over to her window and drew back the curtain. The sun was just beginning to rise over the horizon, casting a red glow over the water. She smiled at the breath-taking sight before turning away from the window and quickly changing into her Exorcist uniform and putting on her boots before heading into the halls.

It was early, so the majority of the Order's inhabitants were still asleep. Eager to do whatever chores were assigned to her as part of her punishment, she reported to Komui's office and, after waking him up, recovered a bucket with an apron and sponge inside. Today, she would be cleaning the windows and floors where the dorms were at.

Hurrying, she made her way down to the kitchen and filled the bucket with warm water and soap, tied on the apron admissioned to her, and quietly made her way to the dormitories, where she began her task. She washed all the windows first before she got down on her knees and began scrubbing the floors, occasionally blowing her bangs out of the way.

"I miss mops," she muttered to herself, but continued to scrub anyway. The floors had to be squeaky clean; any less was not acceptable. It was a punishment after all.

It was a couple of hours later when people started waking up and the hallways got busy. She was stepped on multiple times, even yelled at for being in the way by some of them. She fixed a few of them a glare, but for the most part ignored them all and continued to scrub anyway. She was thankful for the apron; her uniform would've gotten soaked by now most likely.

"Morning, Mattie!" Lavi's voice rang over the dying crowds a while later, making her glare at him for a moment before returning her gaze to the floor and resuming scrubbing.

"_Please_ stop calling me that," she asked him, but came out more of a whine.

"Aww, how come?" he asked, squatting down to her level to inspect her work. After a moment, he grinned widely. "Cinder-Mattie."

She groaned, about ready to correct him until she realized exactly _what_ he had called her. "_What did you call me_?" she shrieked, throwing the sponge she'd just dipped into the bucket at him. The male sprung upwards quickly, the sponge falling as he spit out the soapy water he'd gotten in his mouth. She merely huffed. It served him right.

"Geez," Lavi mumbled, "I just called you..." he trailed off as a devious smirk crossed his face. "Oh, I get it now. You don't like to be called 'Mattie' because in the past you were called 'Cinder-Mattie'."

Immediately growing red, she stammered, "that's... that's not true!"

"What's not true?"

She spun on her heels, nearly slipping on the wet floor in her wake. Allen smiled warmly, though a little tiredly, with Link standing directly behind him. It took a moment for yesterday's events to register in her head once again.

"Allen!" Lavi told him excitedly, "I found out why she hates being called 'Mattie'!"

"Lavi, you've already told everyone," Allen replied. "Everyone else with her name uses that nickname."

"No, no! All of that was a lie! She really hates being called it because she was called Cinder-" Lavi was interrupted as he was once again assaulted with the sponge. Her glare directed at him faltered as she heard Allen speak.

"Cinderella? What does that have to do with anything?"

"No, no." Lavi corrected, "not Cinderella, Cinder-_Mattie_."

"Cinder-Mattie?" Allen repeated before it clicked. "Oh. I see now."

Defeated, she lowered down onto her knees and picked up the sponge, resuming her cleaning. After a few minutes, both boys left, leaving her along once more. However, much to her surprise, Allen returned with his own sponge and began to help scrub the floors clean. She stared at him in surprise.

"Allen?" She raised an eye brow. "What are you doing?"

"Helping you, of course," he replied casually, looking up to smile at her.

She shook her head quickly. "No, no, it's okay. It's my punishment, Allen, not your's."

"Yes, but you were punnished trying to help me out. It's the least I can do."

"But-" she was cut short as he pressed his lips against her's. While he pulled away as quickly, it still put her in a momentary trance, making her drop the sponge. When she finally recovered, she scowled at herself. Was he going to do that every time now? Just to catch her off-guard so he could get what he wanted?

"Please let me help." He gave her a pleading look, though she could see the corners of his lips curling into a sly smirk. "For me?" Sneaky little devil, always playing his cards just right.

She frowned, but still gave in. "Fine." She stood, taking off her apron and handing it to him. "Here, put this on. I'll be right back. I'm getting another apron and bucket." Before he could complain, she turned and hurried back down to the cafeteria, where she grabbed another bucket from the kitchen and filled it. Grabbing another apron from the rack near the door, she slipped it on before exiting into the hallway, where she met up with Emilia.

"Oh, Madelynn!" Emilia asked her, "did you ever tell Allen?"

Madelynn paused. Was her crush on him _that_ obvious? "You knew?"

Emilia smiled brightly at her. "I didn't until Miranda told me." All at once, she exploded with excitement. "So, you told him, right? What'd he say? Does Allen like you too? You know, this one time when I was your age I had a crush on this boy and Papa got _so_ mad about it. You wouldn't believe how red his face got!"

When she saw her eager face, she knew immediately that there was no way to get out of it. "I told him," she told the older woman, not quite sure what to say, "and he said he felt the same way."

Emilia smiled. "Oh, I get it. You're the shy type. Don't worry, it won't be so awkward soon."

"It's not awkward," she replied. "Just... nice, actually. The only awkward part is that I feel like a total girl."

"It's just because you're not used to it." Emilia then stopped, gently grabbing hold of her hands. "Madelynn, admitting you love someone isn't anything to be ashamed of. Everyone goes through it. Never be afraid of how you feel. And honestly," she leaned closer to her, "what guy isn't going to like his girlfriend expressing how she feels?"

Madelynn nodded, smiling. "Thank you, Miss Emilia... again."

"Anytime!"

She was barely a few feet away from Emilia when a loud explosion echoed throughout the building, shaking it just slightly. Alarmed, she began to turn in circles trying to locate where it'd come from, but everyone else only either ignored it or mumbled under their breaths, blaming Komui for it. Deciding it could very well be possible, she only gave a small shrug before finishing the rest of the distance to the elevator and pressing the button, waiting for it. Soon after, the Order settled down once again and returned to its routine function.

"Oh, Madelynn!" Johnny exclaimed inside of the elevator. She smiled warmly at him before stepping inside, bidding Timothy - who was likely hiding from Emilia again - and Reever a good morning. "Loud explosion, 'eh?" Johnny let out a laugh. "Well, that's the Supervisor for you."

"Does that happen a lot? I didn't think he could be _that_ destructive," she admitted, smiling nervously.

"Leverrier's been here quite a bit, so he's been on his best behavior." Reever said. "Speaking of Leverrier, are the rumors true? Did you really demand to see him?"

"For once it is," she replied, mild surprise in her tone. "Wow, that's a first."

Suddenly, there was a violent shake before the elevator groaned to a stop and the lights flickered once before giving out, leaving them in the dark. It was dead silent for a moment before Johnny and Reever let out a loud cry.

"The elevator!"

"The power's out!"

Puzzled, she began to feel the walls. She'd been near the control panel, thankfully, though it took a moment for her to locate it again. When none of the buttons worked, including the emergency ones, she sprung upwards, taking a step backwards. "The whole building's out of power!" she exclaimed. There was another shriek - from who she did not know - before they all began to pound on the walls of the elevator, crying out for help.

"Do you hear that?" Johnny suddenly asked her and Reever, making her press her ear against the cold metal. Faintly, she could hear screams from outside. "I knew the Supervisor could be destructive, but not _this_ destructive. We've never lost power before!"

She grasped her eye as it throbbed with pain, but froze as she felt the metal hovering before it currently. Another cry soon filled her ears, making her eyes widen.

"Johnny, Reever! Get away from there!" she yelled, but was too late. Metal was torn open, letting light in but also at the same time revealing the large Akuma. Both scientists had been thrown from the impact and were now curled up against the back wall beside her. She gritted her teeth as she clutched at her eye once more. Why was it hurting so much all of a sudden? It'd never hurt so much before.

The Akuma licked its lips, a blood thirsty glint in its eye, before it sprung forward at them. Pulling herself away from the wall, she invoked Crown Clown, only to smack right against it again as the Akuma pressed its entire weight against her. It was only as she pressed back against it, only with no luck, that it dawned on her.

It was a level three. And she was alone.

She knew she had no other choice but to fight it, but how was she supposed to take it on when she could barely handle a level two? Even now, she was being squashed against a wall.

With her arms pinned against the wall, there was no other way but to wedge her legs inbetween herself and the Akuma. It was difficult - not to mention painful - but she eventually managed to get her legs high enough so that her feet were planted right at the Akuma's abdomen. With as much force as she could, she slammed her feet against it, delivering the strongest kick she could muster in her state before pushing as hard as she could against it.

Johnny leaped up once he recovered, swiftly grabbing the bucket and hurling the water at the Akuma before repeatedly beating the Akuma with it. "Madelynn!" Timothy, who she'd forgotten in the crisis, called. But even she knew he would be of no help; he couldn't even possess it.

"Timothy!" she cried out, "stand back!" Almost immediatley, the Akuma turned, realizing the younger Exorcist was powerless against him. Suddenly, it made to leap for him, but not before she caught it in Crown Belt, swinging it around and throwing it against the wall. It let out an enraged howl before throwing a punch her way, but she ducked just before it crashed through the wall behind her.

Ignoring everyones' protests, she positioned herself in front of where the exit once was. Her Crown Belt wrapped tightly around the Akuma's body, preventing it from attacking the others. "Your opponent is me," she reminded the creature boldly before she allowed herself to drop from the elevator. When her weight was not enough to drag the Akuma down with her, she gave a strong tug before the demon was pulled out and into the clutches of gravity.

"Fool," the Akuma scoffed. Because of its weight, it fell faster than her, eventually dragging herself down along with it. She tried to release her hold on it, but the Akuma had grabbed hold of the cloth, leaving her no escape. Her mind began to race as she drew closer to the Akuma.

There had to be something she could do.

Eyes narrowing, parts of her cloak extended, quickly latching onto the stunned Akuma and pulling her closer to it. Now was not the time to hesitate. If she made one more mistake, it'd give the Akuma the upper hand.

If she wasn't careful, it would kill her.

With its hands and legs bound, the Akuma was unable to move. Grabbing hold of its upper arms, she drew herself closer to the Akuma's body. "You think killing yourself will damage me any?" The Akuma laughed. "You're wrong, Exorcist!"

The ground was coming fast. There was so much speed and energy in their fall, not even a normal Exorcist's body would likely be able to handle such an impact. Not even the Akuma's body would be able to protect her at this rate. Acting quickly, she pushed herself up so that she was kneeling on its body.

"It is not me who will be dying here," she calmly informed him as the cloak of her Innocence returned to her side, hardening itself and beginning to cover her own body. She was barely in her Innocence's protection when they struck the ground hard. Letting out a grunt as her 'shell' cracked, she had no time to recover from the harsh landing before it shattered and the Akuma grabbed her.

"Foolish Exorcist," it hissed. "I am a level three. Did you really think you could destroy me all by yourself?" It pulled her up by the collar of her shirt, leaving her dangling in mid air. "You are useless compared to me."

Another Akuma sprung up beside the level three, making her eyes widen. There was no way she could take on another one. However, it struck the one holding her instead, making it drop her. The new Akuma grabbed hold of her quickly and gently set her down on the ground.

"Are you alright?" the Akuma asked, but the voice was familiar. She breathed out a sigh of relief before giving a nod in reply.

"Timothy? Is that you?" she asked as their eyes met.

"You've only possessed a level two? How pitiful." The level three Akuma scoffed, "you may have managed to escape death this time, girl, but you will die here." As its eyes narrowed on them, Madelynn prepared for combat.

"Even if I have to drag you two brats to the grave myself."


	18. Chapter 18

_**Author's Note**_ - I finished the next chapter quicker than I anticipated, but I thought I would update anyway. I can't promise that I'll be able to update as quickly again, though, so we'll just consider this my way of saying 'thanks' to you all. Nevertheless, I hope you all enjoy, though!

**Disclaimer** - I don't own _D. Gray-Man_. The characters and original plot are property of Katsura Hoshino.

* * *

There was a loud whooshing sound as Crown Clown zoomed under and passed her arm, darting straight for the unsuspecting Akuma. As it collided with the force of a brick into the six or so foot Akuma, it was obvious that it hadn't been expecting such an attack. Her - or, rather, her Innocence's - sudden attack seemed to settle Timothy's uncertainty, because he immediately straightened his composure, snickering lightly at her enraged Innocence. The cloak was currently lengthening itself, the fluff hardening just slightly, imitating an angry cat.

To say the least, Crown Clown did not like the Akuma's comment.

Her chuckles died in her throat as she felt something wrap around her arm tightly, enough so that it hurt. Letting out a yelp, she blinked when she realized it was Crown Belt. Only it wasn't her controlling it. She didn't have much time to register this fact before Crown Clown gave it a tug and her clawed hand rose with it. She stumbled forward a couple of steps, attempting to not be dragged as she was left to move her own feet, before her Innocence released its possession on her.

Timothy wasn't too far behind her, and soon the three of them were playing a game of cat and mouse. Being much lighter, she was able to easily maneuver around their enemy, keeping herself out of its reach. On the other hand, Timothy had a more difficult time because the body he was possessing was much heavier, but he was still able to dodge.

When there was an opening, she landed her first blow. She still had yet to learn how to use Crown Clown's abilities very well, but it was now or never. She shot forward, making Timothy pause in confusion. "Edge End!" she cried out, coming to a complete halt as the Akuma was struck. It was her first time using it, so it hadn't dealt as much damage, but it was enough to allow Timothy to deal the Akuma one of his own attacks.

Suddenly, the Akuma turned her way after it recovered. She let out a gasp of pain as its arm flew forward too quickly for her to react, its claws tearing into her side. Her hand shooting towards her side, she recoiled backwards, falling to her knees and grunting.

"Wha-?" Timothy landed beside her. "Hey, are you okay, lady?"

Slowly, she removed her hand, letting out another hiss of pain as her side stung. Through the tears of her clothing, she could see blood seeping through the deep cuts in her skin. She gritted her teeth as she tightly clutched her side, but it was no use. The deep cut ran down her torso.

Guess she hadn't adapted as much as she'd thought she had.

"Already wounded that bad?" The Akuma mocked, "how pathetic."

Shakily, she pushed herself back onto her feet. She stumbled backwards a little bit, but quickly gained her balance. "I'm not done yet," she told it squarely, removing her hand from her side. "Careful, Timothy. Its claws are sharp."

"Ha!" Suddenly a voice boomed above her, "it's not him who needs to be careful!"

Her head snapped up to look above, eyes widening as she noticed the Akuma there, fist drawn back and ready to punch. She was about ready to dodge when Timothy threw himself right into it, knocking them both away. Before the Akuma could even think to strike her comrade back, he darted upwards towards the ceiling. The level three growled out angrily, chasing after Timothy.

"Timothy!" she yelled out as a warning, but the child merely laughed like it was a game of tag. He didn't seem to notice that the Akuma was a lot faster, thus catching up with him quickly. As an effort to help, she steadied her aim. "Crown Belt!"

Her attempt to stop the Akuma was to no avail, though, and she let out a shriek as she was roughly pulled from the ground. How did Allen do it? She had no clue, but there was no way to stop it now. She was already a good distance from the ground, meaning she had no other choice but to let herself be dragged around.

Suddenly, however, a thought sparked in her mind. Without thinking, she immediately yanked on her wrist, feeling satisfactory as it pulled the Akuma back slightly. That plan soon back fired as soon as the Akuma noticed her there and tried to pry the cloth from its wrist. When it proved to do no help, it pulled even harder.

"Let go of me!"

The Akuma's yell caught Timothy's attention. He came to a hault, staring at the scene before him in shock. "Madelynn!" He made to jump in, but she shook her head quickly, smiling to assure him that she was alright. She continued to dangle helplessly as the Akuma kept trying to free itself from Crown Belt's grip. As she watched it grow frustrated, she couldn't help but smile innocently, amused with her work.

That is, until it broke itself free, pulling on the cloth until it snapped in half. She let out a startled yell as she felt gravity pull her back down towards the ground. As she continued to fall, she frantically looked at her surroundings, trying to locate something to wrap Crown Belt around to stop her free fall, but was unfortunate enough to find nothing.

Suddenly, she stopped falling as something grabbed onto her arm. Looking up, she sighed with relief to find Timothy there. Noticing the Akuma heading towards them again, he quickly tossed her onto his back. "Hold on!" he called out, not even waiting before sprinting through the air. Had she not already been reaching for his shoulders, she might've been knocked off.

"Timothy!" she called loudly, leaning closer to him so he could hear her more clearly. "I think I have an idea. Can you get above the Akuma?"

"I can try. What's your idea?"

"If I can distract the Akuma, then you can get Johnny and Reever and bring them back to the ground. Tell them to get to safety."

Timothy gave a nod in response before darting upwards. Gripping tighter, she looked behind, finding the Akuma still hot on their trail. Once they were high enough, they began to weave through tight spaces the Akuma couldn't fit into. Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself as she released her grip on her comrade, rising to her feet slowly as she watched their enemy they were currently hovering above carefully. She had to time her jump just right...

Without warning, she leaped off Timothy's back. As she fell fast upon the oblivious Akuma, she readied her claw. The Akuma let out a cry of surprise as she landed hard on it, her claws tearing through its skin. She wrapped Crown Belt around its neck, making it choke and thrash about wildly, trying to make her lose her grip, but she pressed her feet hard against it. Outraged, it turned over, attempting to make her lose her grounding, but she was ready for it and yanked hard on the cloth with both of her hands, bringing it down with her. Though, because of its weight, it fell faster than her, which she easily took advantage of and, much to her enemy's dismay, she was back on its back a short moment later.

"Get off me, brat!"

"Well, if you say so," she replied before dropping off the edge, tugging hard as she began to fall, once again taking the Akuma with her. This time, however, the Akuma fought against her pulling, trying to rise back up, but it was no use. She tightened her grip. No matter what, she wasn't going to let it get away. Suddenly, however, the Akuma started to come down faster, making her blink. Had it already given up?

"Fool," it scoffed, ramming its fist into her stomach. As air was knocked out of her and a cough escaped from her throat, she released her grip as she limply descended. Crown Belt was still wrapped around the Akuma's neck as it shot towards her, ready to strike again. Suddenly her body felt like dead weight, and she couldn't move. Weakly, her clawed fingers twitched as she tried to block the Akuma's attack, but it was no use. She struck the ground hard, letting out a cry of pain after she felt the air knocked out of her once again.

For a moment, she simply laid there, in a daze. Why was her body acting this way so suddenly? She'd been fine just a few seconds ago.

"Not going to move, 'eh?" she heard the Akuma speak again as it approached her. It said delightfully, "how charming. I get to kill you and level up." It raised its claws, bending closer to her. "Any last words, Exorcist?"

"As a matter of fact, I do." She looked at her right arm before turning her head to glare up at him again. "Crown Clown, knock yourself out." The Akuma let out a gasp of surprise as cloth shot out at it, striking it right in the nose. It staggered back, only to be kicked in the side by Timothy, sending it over a few feet.

"You okay?" Timothy asked her, concerned. She offered him a smile, pushing herself back up, but as soon as she did she felt her whole body freeze. "Hey, what's wrong?" he cried.

"My body won't move," she stuttered nervously, still trying to move, though her attempts were to no avail. What was wrong with her now?

"Won't move?" Timothy repeated. "What do you mean? You have to move!"

Desperately, she tried again, but then her body started to move on its own accord. She stared in horror as her clawed hand slowly began to rise, her fingers spreading apart in its wake. Alarmed, she tried to make it stop using her other hand, but found that she still couldn't move her body. A bad feeling grew in the pit of her stomach, making her look up at the younger Exorcist sharply.

"Timothy! Get away from me!"

"What? I don't get what..."

"Go!" she yelled, unable to hide the worry in her tone.

Just as he was backing up, her hand shot to her neck, making her choke as her clawed fingers wrapped around it tightly, constricting air flow. She struggled, wheezing for air, but it was no use to even try to move.

Was her Innocence attacking her? No, that couldn't be it. Crown Clown wouldn't ever hurt her. Well, it hurt her when it got mad at her last night during her and Allen's discussion. But if it wasn't Crown Clown, then what was it?

"I see my virus has already spread through your body," she heard the Akuma say casually, making her eyes snap up in surprise. "Allow me to explain my Dark Matter to you. As you can see, you cannot move and you are currently choking yourself against your own will. That's all me, Exorcist. Right now, the Dark Matter has taken control." It licked its lips. "You're mine to control."

"Tim...othy..." she struggled out.

"Hang on, Madelynn!" Timothy lowered onto all four's, and she blinked as she noticed his eyes narrow dangerously. "I'll take him down."

There was no way. They couldn't take on level three Akuma alone yet. As it was, they were already out of this one's league together. But they wouldn't give up. If they worked together like a team, there had to be a way to overcome it.

"No... wait..." Although hesitant, Timothy turned his head slowly to look at her, staring at her questionably. She tried to speak, but found herself unable to anymore. Glancing down at her hand that was currently still wrapped around her throat, she concentrated hard, but couldn't gain back control.

_Come on, Crown Clown, we can do this. If we can gain back control for one second to tell him..._

Nothing happened, making her growl and mentally shake her head. She couldn't have any doubts, otherwise Crown Clown wouldn't listen to her.

_Listen, I'm sorry about what happened last night..._

"Madelynn? What is it?"

_I'm not strong enough to do this myself. I wish I was, but I'm not. I need your help._ She frowned when she didn't hear the Innocence's voice like she had heard times before. She bit her lip. _Listen, I know you're still mad at me. I get it. I screwed up. Any synchronization I gained is probably gone and I'm back at thirty percent now... I get it, but it's not going to stop me. I'm stuck. I can't get out of this mess. Please, help me._ She blinked as her hand began to glow a faint green color before smiling. Suddenly, her hand jerked away from her neck, making her wheeze for air for a moment.

"Crown Clown can't block the virus off for much longer," she told Timothy, looking squarely at the Akuma, eyes narrowed. "Let's do this."

Timothy grinned. "Now that's more like it." He yelled out before taking off, "let's go!"

Looking back at the Akuma, she let a smile cross her face as she, too, leaped after him.

_Let's do this, Crown Clown._


	19. Chapter 19

**_Author's Note_** - Wow, almost twenty chapters. Thank you everyone for continuing to read!

**Disclaimer_ -_** I don't own _D. Gray-Man_. The original plot and its characters are property of Katsura Hoshino.

* * *

The Akuma watched them carefully with hard, calculating eyes as they took their battle stances once again. She swallowed nervously, trying to estimate just how much strength and energy it would take for her to fight. Her muscles felt rusty; like she'd just woken up after hours of heavy sedation. She let out a small grunt as she tried to move her clawed hand. It felt worse than when she had just acquired the Innocence; now it just felt like dead weight, beyond just stiffness.

Her eyes widened as the Akuma threw its head back, cackling with laughter. "What are you two? Rookies who have yet to even finish their training? Allow me to inform you two how this works, children. I am your enemy," it licked its lips, "and as your enemy I am going to drag each of you individually to the grave."

"Not if we take you there first!" Timothy retorted, sticking his tongue out at it childishly. Outraged, the Akuma jumped forward, but wasn't expecting her to jump forward and swipe it with her claw, leaving a rather large gash on the side. It spun around to face her, gawking at her in surprise.

"You!" it snapped.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," she replied, voice even. "I will not be following the law of anime today, however, as I do not really feel like telling you how I did it in my present condition so you can use it against me within the next five minutes."

"You're a really strange lady," Timothy commented. It was odd to see someone literally sweat dropping.

"Oh, you haven't even seen the beginning of my crazy personality yet," she muttered, claw poised in front of her. Her movements were still slowed, as Crown Clown and the Akuma's virus competed for control, but she didn't let it stop her from taking a large step forward. Ignoring the pain in her side, she focused on the Akuma, waiting patiently for it to move. Timothy soon grew impatient, however, and leaped forward without warning.

Her eyes widened as she saw the Akuma grin with delight and it became clear what it was up to. "Timothy, wait! The Akuma's going to possess you!" When her cries fell upon deaf ears, she immediately shot forward, yelling out in her wake, "_Crown Belt_!" She didn't have enough strength to pull the Akuma away but, although she nearly pulled a muscle trying it, was able to halt it. Without warning, Timothy struck the Akuma head on, blowing through the Akuma. Much to her alarm, however, he was swallowed up in the explosion.

Frantically, she spun around in a full circle, searching for any signs of her comrade's body, praying he'd be thrown back into his own if the one he'd possessed was destroyed. Her eye had never even activated, she suddenly realized as she tried to use it to search for him. It was highly likely the enemy was using those beetles to prevent her and Allen from using their eye again.

"Ugh..." she heard a familiar groan, making her turn. She sighed with relief when she caught Timothy rise from the behind a stack of rubble not to far away. Curiosity rose as she silently wondered if he'd purposely left his body hiding there. "Hey, lady, are you alright? You're not still trying to kill yourself are you?"

"I wasn't _trying_ to kill myself," she muttered darkly to herself before pushing those thoughts from her mind. "Are you alright? We'd better get moving. I can't tell if there's more Akuma here or not. And they cut the power too."

"I'm never going on an elevator ever again," Timothy stated rather angrily. She couldn't help but snicker.

"Good luck taking the stairs in roller blades," she replied and began to move again, only to clutch her side as it burned again. Pulling her hand away, she rolled her eyes when she saw blood. Of course it was still bleeding profusely.

It was about half a second later that it occurred to her just how bad her wound was. Although she was twitching to freak out just like she had when she'd acquired Allen's curse, she forced herself to calm down and instead hesitantly pulled her Exorcist jacket off. She really didn't want to tear it apart, but she really had no use. Yanking hard on the uniform to rip it by the seam, she completely took apart one of the arms so it was just a piece of flat fabric before carefully folding it in half hamburger-style and tying it around her waist tightly. Once she was done, she put it back on, ignoring Timothy's questionable look. She really didn't want to give Johnny more work, but she had no choice. At least he'd only need to make a new sleeve.

Once she was finished, the pair hurried at a brisk pace through the halls of the Order. All was silent, so they had no other choice but to scour the building. Their search didn't seem to get them anywhere, however, as they found that the place was completely deserted. She located the nearest staircase and began to climb up the steps, and soon enough the faint sound of a battle filled her ears.

Following the sound, Timothy in tow, they cautiously scanned the area. She kept her claw close to her body, ready to defend herself and the younger Exorcist at any given moment. It unnerved her that her eye wasn't functioning properly. Without it, she felt like a target helpless to defend itself, and she did not like the feeling.

And to make it worse, she'd never been left on her own before. Timothy had only been an Exorcist a few months longer than her, but it was obvious he was afraid. She was the oldest of them, making it her job to take the lead. It'd be cruel to make him leader. As he grabbed hold of her right arm, she looked back at him, trying her hardest to smile reassuringly before gripping it lightly.

She had no words of comfort, nor did she have an explanation. She, herself, was confused. Why would Headquarters be attacked? Had the Earl gotten bold and decided to finish them off for good?

Sometimes she really hated reality.

This hallway seemed familiar now that she thought about it. Wasn't the Ark located just a little ways away?

She froze.

What if they were after the Ark? If they got in, who knows what Branch they'd go after to destroy next? The entire organization would be a moving target, especially since all the Exorcists were station here at Headquarters.

Her realization made her break into a run as she rushed down the hallway in front of her. Timothy chased after her, nearly tripping over his feet as he did so. "Why are we running so fast?" he exclaimed. "We'll give ourselves away!"

"There's no time!" she called back. "We can't let them find the Ark!"

"Heh!" A voice that was not Timothy's cried out, "you're too late, Exorcists!"

Timothy let out a scream as they looked up and found an Akuma directly above them. Reacting off of instinct, she wrapped her arms around him protectively, pulling themselves down to the ground with her body shielding his. Crown Clown shot out at odd angles, hurrying to defend her as she shut her eyes tightly, waiting for it to strike her.

Something buzzed in her ear sharply before she heard the Akuma get kicked away from them. Eyes opening in surprise, she looked up quickly to see who their savior had been. Lenalee landed directly beside her, eyes filled with worry as she helped her back onto her feet.

"Madelynn! You're hurt!"

Wincing as pain shot in her side, she smiled softly. "I'll be alright. It's okay."

"No, it's not!" the older girl persisted. "Where have you two been? We've been looking everywhere for you and when you two weren't accounted for I thought... I thought..."

"Shhh, it's alright," she said, trying to soothe her worries. She let out a sigh, allowing her to relax when she saw that Allen had arrived to and was battling the Akuma that'd ambushed them. "We got attacked by a level three."

"A level three?" she exclaimed. "And you took it on by yourselves without help? Oh my gosh, no wonder you're so beat up, Madelynn!"

Timothy grinned, wrapping one arm around her waist and using his other hand to give Lenalee a thumbs up. "But we showed 'em who's boss!" She merely smiled awkwardly as Lenalee's gaze returned to her. The Chinese girl opened her mouth, about ready to speak again, when Allen popped up beside her, setting his sword on his shoulders.

"There you are, Mattie!" he exclaimed, but his grin faltered upon closer examination of her. Reaching out, he gently dragged the tip of his finger down her cheek, frowning when he pulled back and looked at his hand, finding no dirt. "You're bruised," he told her, tone asking for an explanation. She smiled sheepishly.

"Really? I didn't notice."

"You don't notice _anything_ do you?"

Lenalee let out a long sigh. "What were you thinking, you two? That Akuma you fought was a level three! You could've gotten yourselves killed. You should've came for help."

"When that thing was a kill away from leveling?" Timothy scoffed, "don't think so."

"Wait," Allen spoke, "you two took on a level three?" She nodded in response, taking a step backwards just in case he joined in with Lenalee.

"It attacked us first," she said, holding her hands up defensively. "And even then, I had to fight back in order to get out of its grip. By the time I got out of it, I was on the ground and Johnny and Reever were still in the elevator. Timothy didn't even come until after he'd possessed the level two."

Allen nodded, squatting low to get a better look at her side. "Wow, it sure did a number on you there. Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she stuttered. "I'll be fine."

"You didn't tie your fabric tight enough," he told her, gently untying it. "The claw marks are pretty deep, so I'm going to tie it as tight as I can to stop the blood flow. It looks like you tied it tight enough before, but since you didn't double knot it came loose." After fixing it, he stood back up, looking at her with concern. "Will you be alright?"

"It's not that bad," she replied, nodding. "What's going on, though? The power's out so there aren't any announcements."

"We're not really certain either," he admitted. "They hit the Order's vital spot, which happens to be our electricity. So not only do we not know their motive, but there's no way to give direct orders easily at the moment. Lenalee and I just met up not that long ago, and I've only seen a few Akuma. What about you?"

"I've only seen three; the one you just Exorcised, the level three, and the level two Timothy possessed. Timothy and I met up in the elevator. When the power went out, we were trapped inside along with Reever and Johnny. The level three attacked us head-on. We'd probably be more injured if my eye hadn't reacted. Now it's not reacting, though..."

"Yeah, the same happened with me. I think they're using those annoying bugs again." He paused. "Wait. You got stuck in an elevator? How on Earth did you manage to deal with that?"

She blushed. How was she supposed to tell him? "Well," she nervously said, "I kinda pulled it with me out of the elevator. I guess my body's adapted to this world enough for me to sustain the fall using it as a shield."

"Adapted?" Lenalee repeated in question. Timothy just eyed her in confusion.

"My body isn't as strong as everyone elses'. It's slowly adapting to the environment here, but it is still fragile. Lavi and I found that out on my first mission when I tripped over a tree root and scraped my hands." She added when Allen stared at her in disbelief, "what? I'm a klutz."

"I would say so." He said before muttering to himself, "leave it to you to figure out how to hurt yourself on a tree root."

"Yeah, well..." she trailed off, trying to think of a proper come back. Her attempts were forgotten, however, as she noticed Allen's gaze harden. At first she stiffened, thinking it was her his glare was directed at, but then she realized he wasn't looking at her, but rather behind. Slowly, she turned, every muscle in her body freezing as her eyes landed on exactly _who_ he was glaring at.

A giggle echoed in the nearly vacant hallway, making a shiver run down her spine. She watched, utterly petrified, as a pair of sadistic, golden eyes stared back at her.

Road Kamelot.


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer** - I do not own _D. Gray-Man_. The original characters and plot are property of Katsura Hoshino.

* * *

She felt a shiver race down her spine as her eyes met with the cat-like ones of the female Noah. Road giggled childishly from her place on Lero, who was levitating a few feet from the ground, her legs kicking back and forth innocently. Behind Madelynn, Allen and Lenalee quickly prepared themselves for battle, dropping into their battle stances as they invoked their Innocence.

Being in this position was... odd. She wasn't quite sure what to make of it. Just months ago, Road had been one of her favorite characters. It was an opinion she'd long kept to herself (after all, it wouldn't be very professional - let alone safe - to tell people she found the enemy cool) and forgotten as time passed. Now that she was remembering such facts, she wasn't certain what to think of her.

In the end, it wasn't too difficult to decide. She was an Exorcist now. And, as much as she hated to hurt anyone, she would have to fight Road. In truth, she hated the idea of hurting anyone, but she wasn't really given an option here.

She was about to join in and activate her own Innocence when Allen moved suddenly, stopping her midway by grasping hold of her wrist. "Don't activate your Innocence," he told her softly, though his voice was laced with sternness and leaving no room for argument. "For as long as possible, we need to prevent the Earl from seeing your Innocence."

She opened her mouth to object and remind him that the Earl had already seen it when Road's voice cut in, "oh! So you're Madelynn!"

That comment made them both freeze. The Earl already knew who she was? How was that possible? "How do you know my name?" she asked her fearfully.

"Your profile," she replied, handing up the papers. "I was just going to force it out of your Supervisor, but since he conveniently left it behind on his desk in plain sight, I suppose I have no reason to squeeze it out of him, though it would be fun."

"Give it back," Allen growled out. He looked about ready to leap into combat. She couldn't help but wonder just how much Komui and the science department had recorded of her, though. If the Earl found out just where she was from, the results could be disastrous.

"Finders, keepers; losers, weepers," Road sang tauntingly. "Quite the interesting Exorcist you are, Madelynn. A 'normal' school girl from a parallel universe who just happened to find a gate to the Ark you all conveniently stole from us. And not only that, but being compatible with an Innocence that had already chosen a host? How interesting."

"Would you mind stopping beating around the bush and tell me what you want already?" She asked. "There's no need to make yourself dramatic and suspenseful."

"Oh, I'm merely here for what Millennie wants, which is quite simple." Road told her, "you see, Millennie wants to know as much about the Order as possible, and you want to go back home to where you belong. He's willing to make a deal with you."

"A deal?" she repeated questionably, wary.

"In exchange for your cooperation in telling us everything about the Order, we'll send you back home."

Shock stunned her. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Home was right in her grasp; just a little ways away. She'd lay this nightmare to a rest and finally returned to where she truly belonged. Allen seemed to have stiffened from his own surprise.

"You'll take me home?"

If possible, she felt even more torn between staying and going as Road nodded energetically.

"No catch?"

"Nope. We'll even remove the Innocence from you so you don't become a Fallen One."

Ah-ha. There was the catch. Knowing the Millennium Earl, he suspected Crown Clown was the Heart - it very well could be - and, using common sense, determined destroying one part would destroy the other. While that was possible - though she doubted it, as the Innocence had only split in half as an effort to protect itself - this particular catch seemed to tear her even more. If she did give into this deal, Crown Clown could be destroyed. Including the piece that resided in Allen's heart.

That meant Allen would die.

"Madelynn," Lenalee turned her roughly so they were facing one another, "don't do this! I know you want to go home, but this isn't the way to do it!"

"All's fair in love and war," Road's eyes narrowed as she smiled sadistically at them, "so let Madelynn choose. Though, I don't think you and your Order deserve her. I know if she were to become one of us Noah we wouldn't call her a thief. Nor would we ever lay a hand on her like your people have done." Her door materialized behind her, and she hopped off Lero, grasping him by his handle and twirling him around, ignoring his protests. "Come on, Madelynn. We won't hold you here against your will. Fifteen minutes and you'll be home, free from the Innocence and the Order's clutches."

Turning away from Lenalee to look at Road, Madelynn took a few steps closer so she could look at Road directly, rather than having to get on her tip-toes and peer over Allen's shoulder. She barely made it a few steps passed him, however, when she felt something wrap around her wrist and yank her back. Looking back in alarm, she saw Allen glaring angrily at her, and realized he'd used Crown Belt.

"What are you thinking?" he snapped. "You're not going with her, Mattie. You could destroy Crown Clown!"

"Madelynn," Lenalee spoke, "when Allen's heart was punctured by Tyki, Crown Clown sealed the hole. If Crown Clown's destroyed, the part that's keeping Allen alive will too and he'll die."

"I know that," she replied, before looking back at Allen. "Allen, let go of me."

"No."

"Suit yourself," she replied, before reaching forward with her free hand and gently grabbing hold of his claw. He stared at her in shock, but she kept her gaze on his hand that was currently in her grip. "Crown Clown, will you please let go?"

_I'm not leaving anyone, but I am putting a stop to this nonsense._

At first, she thought nothing was going to come of it, but then Allen's Crown Belt slowly unraveled, returning to where it'd come from in Allen's sleeve. The boy's eyes widened in disbelief, reaching for her desperately as she pulled away. She'd never realized he cared for her this much. She immediately countered that statement with the fact that his life was, in a sense, currently held in her hands. Had they been in opposite positions, she'd do everything in her power to stop him too.

"I need to do this on my own," she told him with a small smile, hoping he would get the hint, before turning to face Road. "You came here just so you could make a deal with me?" She took a step forward. "You invade our home, causing destruction and havoc. You pry into _my_ business and read all about my private stuff that is none of your information. And you have the decency to ask me to betray my Innocence, my friends, and my family in exchange for going back to Enumclaw?" With each word, her voice seemed to rise up in volume. By the time she finished, she was clenching her fists and glaring. "Well, you can just pack up yourselves and your Akuma and beat it. I'd rather get slapped than have my arm blown off, thank you very much."

Once she was done with her rant, she let out a loud huff before spinning on her heels and trotting back to where Allen and Lenalee stood, awestruck. When she faced Lenalee and offered her a smile, Lenalee let out a sigh of relief, pulling her into a tight hug. "Thank you," she heard her mumble. "Thank you so much."

"Very well." Road smiled maliciously. "This will be fun!" she exclaimed, laughing maniacally, "play with me, Madelynn! It can be like tag." Amusement reflected in her eyes as they narrowed on her. "And once I 'tag' you, you'll come back with us."

She was about to invoke her Innocence when Allen stepped in front of her. "Like we'll let you," he told Road harshly before tilting his head back to look at her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Lenalee nod just before a wind whipped around them and one of the Ark's gates materialized beneath her. "I'm going to disconnect all of the gates here, Mattie, so you'll be safe. Go."

"What?"

"Now's not the time for this!" he snapped. "Just go!"

Before she could say another word, the gate swallowed her whole, pulling her inside the Ark and tossing her out onto the sidewalk inside. Frantic, she shot back up, yanking the door open, only to be met with darkness. Frustrated, she crossed her arms, sitting down on the cobblestone street.

"Jerk," she muttered, irritated. "I don't want to sit here and wait for a battle to end. That could be hours. Geez, you're worse than Katie! She won't let me go downstairs to the front desk of the hotel, but no, she'll let me walk across a busy intersection to get Subway!" Upon rethinking those words, she hung her head. "Great, now I'm just acting selfish."

For a while, she sat there, defeated. Of course, she wanted to go back and fight. It was her they were here for in the first place, after all. She didn't want people getting hurt just to defend her.

But then again, neither did they want her getting hurt.

With a long sigh, she pushed herself back onto her feet, scanning her surroundings. Knowing her luck, she was really going to regret this later when Allen chewed her out for it, but she couldn't just sit here. Taking a deep breath, she stalked towards her destination, her boots loudly clapping at the ground as she walked briskly. It took a while, but finally after trying multiple doors, she found the one she was looking for.

The Fourteenth's room.

Not even hesitating, she stormed inside, leaving the door wide open. The Fourteenth reflected off the windows and mirrors, smiling at her. Personally, she wondered if his mouth had frozen like that sometime ago.

"Take it back!" she demanded, stopping just inches from the mirror. At first, the Noah said nothing, but then chuckled to himself.

_"Take back what?" _He cocked his head to the side innocently. If anything, it annoyed her even more.

"The gate," she paraphrased. "I want you to bring it back so I can get to Headquarters."

_"Headquarters? Why so? Although Allen acts rather irrationally at times, there was a reason he went through the trouble trapping you here."_

"I know that," she replied, and began to pace the room as she spoke, "but I can't let people get hurt just for the sake of protecting me." She paused for a moment, before guilt struck at her again. "Then again, I'm going to be a hinderence either way. If I get abducted, we could all be doomed for sure. Darn it, why does it take so along to gain experience? If I was stronger, then I wouldn't have guilt eating me alive for pacing around here while everyone fights." Letting out another sigh, she settled down on the couch, staring glumly at the floor. "Oh well, I guess I'm stuck in here until Allen lets me out..."

For a while, the room was silent. She wasn't certain how much time had passed when the Fourteenth spoke again, shattering her thoughts. _"Give up already?"_

She blinked. "Give up what?"

_"Just twenty minutes ago you came in here demanding I open you a gate. And here I was, thinking you were stubborn. I suppose I was wrong."_

"There's nothing to be stubborn about. You can't open a gate." She added in a mumble, "besides, it's probably safer if I'm in here anyway..."

_"So you're going to give up because Allen tells you? Man, you're a pushover."_

Her face reddened. "I am not a pushover!"

_"I bet tomorrow he'll tell you to stop eating fish and you'll listen-"_

"What?" She exclaimed, "I wouldn't listen in a million years! Stop making rediculous accusiations that aren't even true!"

_"So you're going to sit here against your will because of what Allen says?"_

"I already told you," she defended, "I'm _not_ going to be a hinderence. And if not being a hinderence means I suck up the guilt I feel and sit here for the next three hours until Allen lets me out, then I will."

_"What if Allen never comes?"_

"What do you mean what if he never comes? Of course he'll come!"

_"Not if he's dead."_

"Allen won't die," she told him adamantly, eyes hardening. "He and Lenalee and the other Exorcists will win, and when they do he'll come right back here to get me and prove you wrong. Just like he always does."

_"Yes, but those times he was a two-dimensional character. What about now when he's more than just ink on paper; more than just a fantasy of your's?"_

"Fantasy?" she stuttered. "Allen's not a fantasy! He's a person!"

_"Says the one who called him 'ink on paper'."_

"Maybe back at home, but not here! He's a person who has just as much of a right to call himself 'human' as we do!"

_"So he's superior to you."_

"Where'd you get that from? I never said that! We're equals. Comrades."

_"So you let an equal boss you around, then."_

"I'm not letting him boss me around," she told him sternly. "I'm choosing to stay here."

_"So you say."_

"Are you doing this on purpose?"

_"Doing what on purpose?"_

"Ridiculing me." She glared at him. "Quite frankly, it's annoying and you are greatly resembling a middle school girl trying to spread a rumor."

The shadow chuckled. _"On the contrary, Madelynn, you are ridiculing yourself. I am merely just asking you if you are backing out on your demands or not. But I understand if you're not ready to fight like an Exorcist."_

"I am too ready," she growled out.

_"Real Exorcists don't hide from the battlefield."_

"I'm not hiding!" she snapped. "Allen put me in here and I can't get out unless you make a gate!"

_"I'm dead, in case you haven't noticed. You know, for a fan you're pretty dense..."_

"And whose fault is that?"

_"The Millennium Earl's actually."_

"Will you just make a gate already?" Remembering her manners, she politely added, "please."

_"I can't do that, I'm afraid."_ Just as she opened her mouth to object, he smiled. _"I can, however, help you do that on your own."_

She stared at him in confusion. "What do you mean?"

_"I'll grant you that power. Under one condition."_

Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "And what might be the condition?"

There was a haunting look in his eyes, and the wide-mouthed grin he gave her sent chills down her spine. _"Give into your fate and take your place in this magnificent play as the Accompanist."_

"May I ask what this 'Accompanist' is? Because, honestly, it sounds like you're looking for another musician..." It dawned on her as his grin widened. "Oh, okay. That clears things up nicely. Heck no."

_"Time is running out. You wouldn't want your favorite characters slaughtered, would you? If Allen dies, you'll be stuck in here with me forever. Can't you see there's no escape from your fate?"_

Suddenly, everything seemed to piece together right before her. "Wait. This whole time you've been trying to persuade me to play your 'key'... you set this all up, didn't you?"

_"Years and years of planning usually helps."_

Her eyes widened. "You..." suddenly, she grew very pale, "_you're_ the one who brought me here. Why didn't I see it before? I should've seen it the moment I got here."

_"Exactly,"_ he replied. _"I spent years searching for the perfect Accompanist."_

"Why _me_?"

_"The other violinists suitable for the job either carried tainted souls, or were just too well-known of a musician to safely choose. I needed someone with no ties to this world. Someone devoted to what I would need them to do."_

"And that was me."

_"Yes."_

She nodded, not quite sure of what else to say. That is, until she realized another thing. "You liar! That means you can make gates!"

_"I didn't make the gate. I possessed Allen and had him do it for me. And I don't intend to do that again. If you want out, then I guess you're just going to have to accept my deal, won't you?"_

"I'm not becoming your Accompanist."

_"Allen will die. When he does, so will you if you let yourself starve. Either way, if you want out, then you're going to have to accept it."_

"Fine," she muttered bitterly. With his finger, he beckoned her forward, to which she answered with obediently, although hesitant. Curious, she reached towards the mirror, but as soon as her fingers touched its surface pain shot into her fingers and up her arm, making it all the way to her head. She let out a shriek of pain, recoiling, but the pain only worsened. She gripped her head, falling to her knees. The pain was worse than any migraine she'd had before.

_"Play my key now?"_

Her vision blurry, she gave no response to the Noah's question, allowing the faint sound of a familiar lullaby to help her drift into a slumber.

* * *

**_Author's Note_** - Since I'm certain this chapter is going to be bringing many questions, I will explain here; although, if you are still confused, don't hesitate to let me know. I centered the Accompanist around the role of the violin accompaniment that was included in the recording of the Musician's song that was played in the Ark. There was never any mention in the manga of Allen hearing the violin part, which could easily be because the composer decided to include an accompaniment other than vocals. I've seen a lot of people come up with their own explanations for the vocals, but haven't seen anyone expand on the idea of the violin accompaniment. Therefore, I've decided to try my hand at it. I think it works out nicely, as it fills in the loop hole I unintentionally created in the beginning with the Ark.

Thanks for your continued support, everyone!


	21. Chapter 21

**_Author's Note_** - Sorry this is a little on the late side, everyone!

**Disclaimer** - I do not own _D. Gray-Man_. The original characters and plot belong to Katsura Hoshino.

* * *

"Madelynn?"

She let out a soft groan as she was greeted with nothing but pain, but gave into the voice and bright lighting that was dragging her towards reality once again. Forcing her eyes open, she saw Lenalee out of the corner of her eye, sitting in a chair beside her. A massive headache welcomed her, as well as the aching pain in her side from when she'd been wounded. Though it took some effort, she managed to provide the older female with a small smile.

"Ugh..." Slowly, she sat up, examining her surroundings, which was nothing but a sea of white. She must've been in the infirmary. That would explain the obnoxious beeping coming from beside her, though when she glanced over and saw all the wires, realizing they were connected to her head, mainly her forehead, she couldn't help but let out a sigh. "Am I going to have wires attached to me every time I faint?"

Lenalee asked her almost frantically, voice filled with worry, "are you alright? You really had us all worried. You were out cold when we found you. Just lying on the floor."

"Yeah," she replied drowsily, "I think. I feel really sleepy, though. What's up with all these wires?"

"You were in a lot of pain when Lavi found you. According to him, you were lying completely on the floor, pressed up as far as you could against the couch and whimpering. At first, he thought it was because of the wound in your side, but when he nudged your head he said you screamed. Anyway, you were partially awake - though you didn't respond to any of us - and in a lot of pain, so the Head Nurse gave you some medication to put you to sleep for a while." Lenalee paused for a moment, catching her breath. "She wasn't sure exactly why you were in so much pain, so she was monitoring your brain. Oddly enough, it was under a lot of pressure."

"_Pressure_? From _this_ end it feels like I was used as a piniyata," she mumbled, rubbing her head. "Hey, Lenalee, how long have I been out?"

"A few days. You were up for a few moments yesterday, but Head Nurse put you back to sleep because you were still in pain."

"What is it?" she asked, noticing her eye brows furrowing in what she could only guess was confusion.

"You mumbled a few times in your sleep. First time about not wanting to be the Accompanist, and the second time you specifically said not to tell Allen. Madelynn, what happened in the Ark? We left you in there for about fifteen minutes. Road and her Akuma left after Allen put you in the Ark. You came out such a mess people were concerned of your mental state."

"I... I don't know," she lied. "I... I was upset, I remember. Not being able to fight. I guess I fell asleep sometime after."

"Madelynn," Lenalee pressed, "if something's bothering you then you need to tell us. Any one of us are willing to listen. I..." she reached for her hand, squeezing it tightly, "I've been kept away from my home before... against my will. I _know_ what you're going through. I know you want to go home, but you can't trust the enemy. I know it's hard, but trust me, it's better you didn't go with Road."

"I'm fine," she replied, offering her a smile.

"I hope so. But in the future talk to someone if something is bothering you."

She felt that she was at a loss. She knew she needed to tell _someone_ what had happened to her, but was uncertain who to tell. She knew she could trust Lenalee and the other Exorcists, but they were most likely busy cleaning up after the attack on Headquarters. Besides, they probably had problems of their own to deal with.

"Lenalee..." she paused for a moment, thinking over her words carefully. The last thing she wanted to do was make her suspicious. "If I ever needed to inform someone something important and urgent, where would I go? You know, for future reference."

"Anyone will listen, Madelynn. But I suppose if it was very important, Brother would be the best person to talk to."

"Thanks, Lenalee."

Shortly afterwards, Lenalee left with the intent of informing everyone she'd awoken, and she laid back against the covers. The Matron had stopped by momentarily when Lenalee was still visiting her. It seemed the woman was weary of dispatching her and didn't intend to do so until her 'condition improved'.

Not long after, she grew bored. Since various equipment was crowding around her, she was in a remote area of the infirmary away from the other patients to give nurses and doctors easier access. For a couple of hours, she merely laid in her designated bed, staring off into space and thinking about just how she would explain to Komui what'd happened.

Catching someone with red hair walk into the room, she looked up, blinking in puzzlement as she realized it was Lavi. For a moment, the Bookman glanced around the area, as though searching for someone. When he noticed her, however, he grinned and began to wave his arms energetically as he jogged towards her.

"There you are!" he exclaimed. "How ya feelin', kid?"

"A little better," she replied, adding in a softer tone, "I guess..."

"Seems like it," he responded, sitting down in the chair Lenalee had been in earlier. "Considering your condition the past few days, I'd say just being awake is an improvement."

"How is everyone?" she asked casually, feeling a bit awkward.

"We're doing good. Just a little concerned about you, that's all. Besides you ending up here, everything went well. There were no casualties, and very few people were admissioned into the infirmary. Probably because there weren't many Akuma."

"That's good to hear."

The area was silent for a moment before Lavi spoke again. "How are you holding up?"

"Pardon?"

"As an Exorcist."

"Oh. It's... nice, I guess. I need a lot more training."

"You'll get the hang of it eventually," he told her. It was odd seeing this side of him; normally he was hyperactive. She wasn't used to him acting this way at all. "Say..." she felt her stomach drop as he began to speak again, knowing exactly what was coming up, "have any explanation for what happened?"

She wasn't sure what to say, honestly. Deep down inside, she knew she could trust him, but still wasn't certain if he was the right person to say such things to. After all, he believed his purpose was to only record things, right? She didn't want someone just to note what had happened to her. Although she was a little afraid to admit it, she needed someone willing to listen to her. Someone willing to provide her with the comfort and guidance she needed.

"I don't know..." she mumbled.

"Don't know what?" Suddenly, Lavi seemed to catch on. "Ahh, I get it now. You think I'm just here to record."

"It's not that," she told him. "I mean, what happened was... well, it was kinda big. I don't really know who to tell, honestly. I guess I was just waiting for someone to come and demand to know."

"You don't like me enough to tell me?" Lavi pretended to look crestfallen. "That just hurts, Mattie."

"Yeah, well right now it feels like my head's splitting in half and I feel icky, so I apologize for not being able to show you enough enthusiasm."

"Your head hurts and you feel icky," Lavi repeated, raising an eye brow. "I'm sorry, just saying you 'feel icky' is enough reason to record this event."

"There was no other term that described it as close as 'icky'."

"And why, exactly, do you feel icky?"

"Umm..."

"You wouldn't want me to have _Allen_ pry it out of you, would you?"

"Okay, fine!" She sunk farther back into the bed, trying to make herself appear smaller underneath the covers. "I did a bad thing," she mumbled.

"Bad thing? You were in the Ark. How can you do something bad?"

Although it was tough to muster the courage to speak, she forced herself to. "You see, I... kinda made this deal."

Lavi raised an eye brow at her. "Deal?"

She nodded. "The Fourteenth told me Allen would be killed if I didn't go back, so I made a deal with him. I know it was really stupid and I probably just committed heresy and I'm going to be hanged and I'm really sorry and-"

"Whoa, whoa!" He grasped her shoulders, just to make her stop speaking. Once she settled down, he released his grip on her. "Calm down, it's okay. Just tell me what this deal was."

In response, she uncomfortably looked down at her lap. "Well, he said if I became this 'Accompanist', then I'd have the power to make a gate."

"A gate?" His eye brows rose in confusion. "Why were you trying to make a gate?"

"He told me the Noah would kill him in place of failing to use me to kill him and said the only way I could prevent it from happening was to make a gate."

"So the deal was that he'd make a gate if you became something called an 'Accompanist'," he summarized.

She shook her head. "No, he said _I_ could. And..." she trailed off. Would it be wise to tell him it'd been the Fourteenth who'd brought her here? Sure, there were people she could trust, but the information would eventually get back to others she doubt would be as understanding.

"What is it?" Lavi urged.

"The Fourteenth's the one who brought me here."

"The Fourteenth told you that?"

She nodded, finally having the courage to look at him. "He chose for me to be the 'Accompanist'. I..." she bit her lip, "I think I fell into one of his traps."

He mumbled a curse word before he fell silent for a moment, likely thinking. "We need to tell Komui," he told her. "Stay right here. I'll go tell him."

"I want to come," she said and, without waiting for his reply, promptly slipped out of bed. Suddenly, she began to regret moving as her head began to throb even more. She swayed, falling forward, but Lavi grabbed hold of her, helping her back onto her feet. Before then, she hadn't even realized an IV needle was attached to her until it reached the end of its extension, tugging along with the other wires.

"Careful," he replied. "When the Akuma virus invaded your body, it left behind poison. Head Nurse didn't realize it until yesterday, so your body's weaker than normal and needs IV fluids," he told her while helping her back to the bed. "Until your body recovers, you'll want to take it easy and lay down."

Letting out a long sigh, she frustratedly dropped back against the bed, staring at the ceiling dully for a moment as she allowed everything to sink in. As if it wasn't confusing the day she became the host for Crown Clown. She'd _just_ came to terms with herself and accepted the fact. She'd just became an Exorcist.

And now she was finding out she was this 'Accompanist'. Not only that, but she'd only ended up here because the Fourteenth brought her here.

What did the Fourteenth mean by 'Accompanist', anyway?

Based on her knowledge of music, she assumed it meant she was to join the Musician as an accompaniment.

So, in simpler terms, the Musician just went from being solo to being part of a duet.

What was she supposed to do, though? The Accompanist could require her playing _anything_. There were no rules listing what instruments could accompany a pianist. Then again, the Fourteenth had mentioned he'd been looking for a violinist...

She snapped out of her thoughts as she heard someone approaching, looking up to find Lavi had returned with Komui. The Supervisor exchanged a few words with the Matron before they headed over to where she was at. She smiled apologetically, surprised to see the older man smile at her reassuringly.

"Hey," Komui greeted gently, sitting down in the chair. Lavi was leaning against the wall. "How are you feeling?"

"A little better than when I first woke up," she replied, a bit nervous.

"Lavi informed me of what happened to you," he told her, "and there's no need to worry. You are not at fault, and you are most certainly not going to be treated as a criminal. However, I need to know exactly what is going on so we can help you."

"What's going on?" she repeated.

Komui nodded. "Based on Allen's report, when Road revealed that they were after you and - after you refused her offer - specified they would take you by force he left you in the Ark. Lavi met up with Allen shortly after Road left and, after Allen made a gate for him, went in to locate you. He found you unconscious in the Fourteenth's room and, because you were nonresponsive and had a nasty gash from your fight, took you here to the infirmary."

"Does everyone know?" she asked him quietly.

"About what happened between you and the Fourteenth? No. No one else was present in my office when Lavi told me. Everyone knows about the condition you were found in, though, and I wouldn't be surprised if your closest peers try to pry the details out of you."

"Okay," she replied, before staring at the wires attached to her forehead still. "What are the wires for, exactly?"

"We thought you were having a migraine, but Matron confirmed that it wasn't one. Your brain was under a lot of pressure, probably because of what the Fourteenth did to you. Your pressure and stress levels have lowered, but we're going to keep them that way for at least another day to make sure they've dropped for good."

"Alright."

"Besides that, is there anything else the Fourteenth told you?"

She thought for a moment. "He told me he was the one who created the gate I arrived here in. He said he did it because he'd chosen me to be something called an 'Accompanist'. He hasn't said what that is, exactly, but I think it has something to do with me accompanying Allen in something."

"That's most likely," he replied, standing up. "But we won't know for sure until you or him hears more. So for now we'll just put that aside and let you get better. Unless you are dead against it, I think it'd be best if I told him about this. It could be the Fourteenth's spoken about the role of this 'Accompanist' he chose you to be."

She nodded, reminding herself that she could trust Allen. He may be mad at her, but things would eventually return to normal.

At least, she hoped so.


	22. Chapter 22

**_Author's Note_** - The time has come! Madelynn finally gets to meet the other Exorcists she has yet to meet in this chapter. Sorry it's taken so long, but I just haven't been able to incorporate the majority of them in. I finally managed to fit them in, though.

**Disclaimer** - I don't own _D. Gray-Man_. The original plot and its characters belong to their respective owner, Katsura Hoshino.

* * *

"L-Lavi! Where are we going?"

Madelynn really had no clue what the young red-haired man was up to so early in the morning. All she knew was that shortly after she'd woken up and been given the okay by the Matron to be released, he'd rushed inside and, after learning she was being dispatched, energetically grabbed hold of her arm and pulled her out of the doors. That was nearly ten minutes ago, and she was still being dragged around by him, having yet been allowed to change out of her hospital garbs.

"You've been here for _months_," he stated, heavy on the emphasis, "and you haven't even met all your fellow comrades yet!" Her face reddened in embarrassment. While she hated to admit it, his words had truth to them. "Worry not, however, as today is the day we're going to fix that!"

Having known the apprentice Bookman long enough to know that there was no use fighting against it, she accepted his plans of the day for her without failure and worked to keep up with his fast-paced strides, analyzing her surroundings. She was beginning to memorize where everything was at in Headquarters now that she was actively moving, no longer caring how much she was seen.

"Are we heading to the training rooms?" she asked Lavi curiously, now walking beside him. He grinned at her, nodding.

"Knowing the Generals, they're training together. Perfect timing to meet them all at once."

Before she knew it, they had arrived and Lavi had moved so that he was positioned behind her. She blinked in question before she suddenly felt him pushing her forward. "Wait!" she protested, but it was no use and her bare feet lost their footing on the ground and she ended up stumbling forward into the training room.

When she looked back up, she froze as she noticed three pairs of eyes focusing on her form, suddenly feeling smaller than before. Shyly, she forced a smile, saying to try and break the rapidly growing awkward silence, "hi..."

Sokaro merely snorted, turning his head away, but Klaud and Tiedoll beckoned her forward. Uncomfortably, she entered the room, Lavi closing the door and standing off to the side, watching the scene unfold in front of him. Assuming he was leaving her to fend for herself, she hesitantly continued to walk forward, not stopping until she was just a foot or so away from the Generals.

"Madelynn Scott." Klaud noted aloud as she glanced over her form, "from the twenty-first century in a parallel universe."

"Heh." Sokaro scoffed, "don't forget the 'thief' part. After all, she _did_ have the nerve to steal that Walker kid's Innocence."

"I didn't _steal_ Crown Clown," she mumbled, trying to conceal the irritance in her tone.

"What was that, girl?"

"Nothing."

In one fluid motion, the intimidating General whisked out his blades, making her flinch and take a step back. "Don't act like a coward," he told her, "it's pathetic. No one's protecting you here. _You're_ the one protecting. Now, quit acting like a sissy and tell me what it was you just said." He raised his blades, making her eyes grow wide. "Go on," he mocked, "say it."

"I said I didn't steal Crown Clown," she repeated timidly, trying to take a step back but he roughly grabbed her by the wrist, pulling her back harshly.

"You have a backbone!" he snapped. "Use it. You're an Exorcist, not a pathetic shy school girl. It's time you learned your place!"

"I didn't steal Crown Clown!" she shouted, voice sharp. At first she stared, mortified that she had raised her voice and acted rudely, but then remembered what he'd said and forced herself to harden her gaze. "I'm not a thief," she continued, never once looking away from him, "I'm an Exorcist." She crossed her arms. "Don't worry, though, General. Where I come from, school girls will _gladly_ gossip with you."

She was itching to correct herself and apologize for her behavior, but she wasn't about to infuriate the General anymore than she already had, so she kept her ground. It was offending to be blamed for stealing Allen's Innocence, and she was tired of hearing it. Reports had been released to the Black Order's members _months_ ago, explaining in detail what had happened that day in Hevlaska's lair.

It was time she moved on from what had happened and to the present. She was beyond just being compatible with Innocence. She'd been sworn in as an Exorcist.

"Do you need to intimidate every new Exorcist that you meet?" Klaud commented, "it's rather unprofessional."

"Unprofessional?" Sokaro let out a laugh. "It's already hardened her! I'm merely doing what that Walker kid failed to do."

"Give the poor child a break," Tiedoll spoke for the first time, drawing tab in hand as he stepped forward. "She's had a long journey already, and it's only begun."

The area grew silent as Lou Jim began to extend its arm towards her, his tiny fingers twitching slightly. "Lou Jim likes you," Klaud told her, but surprisingly her voice wasn't as emotionless as it usually was. She didn't respond, instead watching as the creature walked up her arm and to her shoulder, where it relaxed, curiously picking at the strands of her hair.

When she figured Lou Jim had no plans of moving from his current position at the present moment, she turned to face Tiedoll, greeting him with a smile. "So you play the violin?" When she nodded, he exclaimed, "oh, how I wish I could've taken you as my apprentice!"

She blinked in surprise. "You do?"

He nodded. "My, such artistic talent you have! I've always dreamed of having a student under my wing who understands the beauty of art!"

She shook her head. "No, no, I don't have an artistic ability. Trust me. I can't even draw a straight line."

She couldn't help but frown when he laughed. Her frown soon slipped off her face and was replaced with a puzzled expression as he shoved his drawing tab and pencil into her hands. "Art in itself is beauty, and it is everywhere," he began his speech, eyes shinning with pride. "Quite frankly, saying you cannot draw a straight line is a lie. Lines are just the basics of art. To say you cannot draw a straight line is like one saying they do not know how to breathe."

Flipping the page he was currently working on, she took the pencil and, with the best effort as possible, attempted to draw a line. When she finished, she flipped it back over to show him.

"Oh," he mumbled, "you really weren't kidding..."

"No worries, at least I can play the violin somewhat decently," she replied, beaming with pride. "I just need to keep my bow straight - it gets really crooked sometimes - and use my arm more and my wrist less."

Suddenly, Lavi sprung up beside her, yanking hold of her arm. He tried to pull her away, yelling something about seeing Krory walking passed, but was cut short as Lou Jim angrily whacked him aside the head, hissing at him. Lavi yelped, backing away slowly as the mammal stood up on all fours, fur beginning to spike. As an effort to save her friend from the wrath of Klaud's partner, she patted it on the head gently.

"It's okay, Lou Jim. I still need to go meet our other comrades I have yet to meet." After returning him to his respectful owner, she gave him one last affectionate scratch behind the ear before following after Lavi, bidding the Generals goodbye.

Without warning, Lavi pulled a garlic necklace from out of nowhere and dropped it over her head. She stared at him bewilderedly, about to question him for his actions when he handed her a decent-sized stake. "Let's go see Krorykins!" he energetically told her, leading the way, dragging her against her protests.

"But Lavi!" she cried out. "I can't meet him like this. It's rude!"

"Aww, but you're an American! Your ancestors were patriots, fighting for their very independence!"

"That's great." She growled out, "now grant me my independence and let go of me!"

"Countries learn from tough times. Consider this a tough time, just like the twelve original colonies had to go through months before they revolted!"

"Lavi," she bluntly told him, "there were thirteen original colonies."

The red-head ignored her, practically skipping down the hallway with her in tow. She was tripping over her feet just to keep up with him. "Krorykins!" he called out when the black-haired Exorcist came into view. He shoved her when they neared Krory, and she nearly ran into the poor man. That didn't stop her from turning and pulling off the garlic necklace, stalking up to the unsuspecting Bookman apprentice and dropping it onto the floor beside his feet. The stake was nowhere to be seen, as she'd chucked it away at the first available opportunity moments ago.

As her eyes fell upon Krory once again, she couldn't help but notice just how tall he was. Despite the fact that he seemed to loom over her smaller form - which was really no surprise, considering she seemed to be just as short compared to everyone here as she had back at home - there wasn't anything terrifying of his presence. In fact, he seemed to be less intimidating than most of the people she'd met.

"You must be Krory," she said, smiling gently and holding out her hand. "I'm Madelynn."

At first he timidly shook her hand, but after a moment he seemed to fill with more confidence and squeezed her hand tighter. Her smile brightened instantly. "Y-You must be the new Exorcist," he stuttered. "They say you know about every Exorcist."

"I guess they're not too far off," she casually replied. While she knew she could trust the members of the Order, she wasn't quite ready to openly tell people why it was she knew so much. "I think that's still under investigation. Not even I know why I know so much... I just do."

"Oh, okay." He told her, "I guess that means you know about everything that's happened to us." She nodded. "So that would mean you understand our insecurities."

"Insecurities?"

"I've noticed recently that a lot of us Exorcist have something we're insecure or ashamed of. Most of it has been because of our Innocence, and I think that's why we all get along together so well. Because we all understand why it is we are the way we are."

For a moment she was stunned by his words. They were spoken so softly, yet they had hit her with the force of a thousand bricks. Krory was right. They were all uncomfortable in society because of the Innocence. In exchange for becoming such unique soldiers, they had all been isolated from the rest of society, it not turned against by it first.

Krory shunned by those villagers for having vampire-like teeth.

Allen abandoned because of his arm.

Lenalee separated from her brother for so long because of the Dark Boots.

And here she was, thinking she'd be alienated because of being from a parallel universe that sees them all as only fictional characters. How shameful of her.

"Krory... how about we make a deal?"

She wasn't sure what had prompted her to take such a leap step forward, but she was determined. Even if it was just a little step forward, a little wall to knock down, it was still an improvement.

"If you promise to have no more regrets about being bitten by your Grandfather's plant," she said, meeting his gaze, "the next time all of us are together, I will tell everyone the truth about me."

At first he stared at her in shock, whether from her mentioning his grandfather or her part of the deal she did not know, but then he nodded slowly, a small smile appearing. "So what you said earlier was a lie?"

"Yes," she replied. "I do know why I know so much."

"Okay," he agreed with a slight nod. "It's a deal, then. Just keep in mind that I know what a deal is and won't let you sneak your way out of it."

"Good," she replied, beaming, "because that's what friends are for."

Suddenly, tears began to stream from his eyes as he pulled her into a hug. "I have a friend!" he cried out from happiness. She had a feeling this was supposed to be one of those comical moments, but experiencing it in person made it more heartwarming than hilarious.

"Aww!" she heard Lavi exclaim from behind her. "Krorykins has a new friend. I need your new buddy back, though. She needs to meet the rest of our family."

After a moment, Krory reluctantly let go of her and, after composing himself once more, managed to bid her farewell before going on his merry way to wherever it was that he was headed before. Lavi didn't waste any time to spring into action, quickly grabbing hold of her wrist and steering her away to his next destination, which happened to be the library.

"Gramps!"

Apparently, Lavi did not have an "inside voice". And apparently she was still thinking she was in kindergarten to be using that term still. She did miss snack time, though...

"Respect your elders!" Bookman snapped, whacking him over the head.

"Geez! I just wanted you to meet Mattie-"

_"Madelynn_!"

Bookman looked up at her, and she froze for a moment before opening her mouth to apologize. "So you're the one from the parallel dimension," he stated calmly. Uncertain of how to respond to him properly, she just nodded politely. "I have heard many things about you."

"Depending on who you heard them from, they may not be true," she replied. "There've been a lot of rumors that weren't true."

"I was told from the Supervisor myself, so I'm certain the events that we have recorded are accurate." He then turned to face Lavi. "Avoiding your studies, I see."

Lavi turned red from embarrassment. "I wasn't skipping out on them!"

"Then you will have no problem reciting the original colonies."

"All fourteen of them?"

"_Thirteen_," she corrected.

"See? _She_ knows them, Gramps! Make her do it!"

She crossed her arms. "Massachussetts, Delaware, Rhode Island, Virginia, North and South Carolina, Connecticuit, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and New Hampshire," she said without difficulty. Lavi's eyes grew as wide as plates, but Bookman nodded approvingly.

"Very impressive. Thank you, Miss Madelynn."

"You memorized them?" Lavi told her when she nodded, "why couldn't you help me out and pretend you didn't? I thought that's what friends were for!"

"I did," she replied calmly. "I told you the answer. If I wasn't your friend, I would've laughed and gloated about how I knew it."

"That's not fair, though!" he protested. "You're an _American_! Of course you know this stuff."

"Get your facts straight, idiot!" Bookman whacked Lavi aside the head. "She's from a parallel universe. Had the book she read about us not mentioned such things, she wouldn't know either!"

"Actually," she replied, "America's a place in the universe I come from too. Education is very important where I come from, so that's where I learned about the thirteen original colones." She smiled warmly. "Plus, I'm an American. I'd be failing as an American if I didn't know about the American Revolution."

"Very interesting," the Bookman replied. "It seems that, although in your world we are considered a book, our worlds are quite similar."

"Where I come from, your world was classified as a 'fictional eighteenth century'."

"And you said you were from the twenty-first century, correct?"

"Yes," she responded with a nod. Lavi, likely seeking to escape before Bookman forced him to study, grabbed hold of her arm.

"Come on, Mattie!"

"_Madelynn_!" She knew there was no use trying to stop him, however, and instead focused on saying goodbye to Bookman. "It was nice meeting you!" she called out.

Once they were a little ways away from the library, Lavi let out a long sigh. "That was a close call. Thought I'd have to start a revolution just to get out of there," he joked. She couldn't bring herself to laugh.

"We would call that a 'defiant student'," she replied. "With that lovely thought, though, who are we meeting them next? And do you plan to cut our meeting short too?"

"We just have Marie and Chaoji left. They were planning to train together today, so it works out for the both of us."

Both Exorcists were in the middle of a spare when they arrived, so she took a seat off to the side against the wall, watching with interest. Both Chaoji and Marie stopped shortly after, however, looking in the direction.

"Lavi? What are you doing here?" Chaoji questioned, eye brow raised. Lavi grinned, making his way over, her following after him.

"Just wanted you two to meet our new Exorcist, Mattie."

She glared at him, but refrained from yelling at him for it and instead focused on the two Exorcists in front of her. "It's a pleasure to meet you two. I'm Madelynn."

"I've heard about you, I think," Chaoji told her. "Aren't you the one who took part of Crown Clown?"

"She didn't do it intentionally, Chaoji," Marie spoke up. "Crown Clown split in half and chose her to be a second host."

Immediately, his face reddened in embarrassment. "Sorry," he apologized. "I didn't know."

She opened her mouth to speak, but the words died in her throat as the door to the room opened and Allen stepped in. 


	23. Chapter 23

**_Author's Note_** - Sorry for the late update. It's only a couple of days late, though, so hopefully you all don't mind too much. Enjoy, everyone!

**Disclaimer** - I don't own _D. Gray-Man_. The plot and original characters are property of Katsura Hoshino.

* * *

Time seemed to have frozen around them; as though the Earth itself had stopped spinning. Everyone else froze in their tracks, faces blank as they stared dully behind her not even uttering a word, but she herself was still capable of moving. At first, she foolishly pushed their reactions of the newcomer's arrival aside, slowly turning to face them, but then she froze.

It was Allen.

Normally, she wouldn't mind the white-haired Exorcist's presence, but not today. Although surprise had taken its toll on him, she knew he was angry at her for what she'd done. Truthfully, she'd been hoping to not have to deal with him and his anger today. She knew she'd have to face it someday, but really preferred it to not be now when she was still being eaten alive with the guilt. It seemed that everything she'd planned to say had slipped her mind suddenly, leaving her in a panicked state. What was she supposed to say?

Maybe there was nothing to say.

Maybe he would just walk away and leave her in silence.

So why was he just standing there?

"Allen!"

She was grateful Lavi had spoken first, with that energetic tone of his, although it didn't get him anywhere. Allen merely gave him a slight nod. Uncomfortably, she turned away, unintentionally meeting Chaoji's gaze. She blinked as he nodded, seeming to understand something she was missing.

"Umm, Lavi," the young man spoke, "I think Allen wants to speak to Madelynn."

While she was hoping Lavi would not get the hint, she knew he was brighter than that and there was no escaping it. Lavi nodded, leading Chaoji and Marie out of the door. As the resonating slam echoed through her ears, she looked up once more, only to lower her gaze once more in shame when she saw he wasn't looking at her.

Plopping down onto the sand pit, she stared absent-mindedly at it. Both of them were stubborn, and she was fully aware they could occupy this room all day, both silently refusing to speak. However, she also knew that would get nothing done. Whether she liked it or not, one of them was going to have to speak up sometime soon, and seeing how he wouldn't even look at her, she was pretty sure it was going to be her.

Her mind made up, she let out a long sigh, pushing herself back to her feet. It took some effort, but she was finally able to force herself to look at him, finding it a little easier when she saw he was looking at her. Giving up her attempts to think of something intelligent to say, she spoke the first thing that came to mind. If he was mad at her, she supposed he wouldn't exactly care what she said first. "Umm... I'm guessing Komui told you..."

Allen gave a curt nod before looking away again. Good. At least she didn't have to tell him.

Only problem was he was still refusing to speak.

And so, after taking a deep breath, she told him the only thing she could say, "I'm sorry." When he looked up at her, she continued, "the last thing I wanted was for this to happen. I know. I _should've_ been more aware of what was happening around me, and I shouldn't have let my guard down. But I did, and this is my punishment."

"No," he replied after she finished speaking, making her gape at him. "_I'm_ sorry."

She blinked in surprise, watching as he walked forward, not stopping until he was a few feet from her. "Sorry? What for?" She was overjoyed he'd forgiven her enough not yell at her, but couldn't help but feel puzzled at his apology.

"Because!" he snapped, making her flinch. "_None_ of this would've happened to you if it wasn't for me! _I_ was the one stupid enough to fall for the Earl's trick and bring Mana back! _I_ was the one chosen to be the Fourteenth's host!" His voice seemed to increase volume, making her more aware by the second with just how much he'd been bottling up.

"Allen-"

"And now-"

"Allen!" His mouth clamped shut, likely surprised that she had yelled, but she ignored it, instead squeezing his left hand with her own. "You need to calm down," she told him. "No one's at fault here, especially you. And you shouldn't blame yourself for what happened to Mana." She paused, realizing what she'd just blurted out and afraid she was crossing her boundaries, but decided to continue anyway. "I know you feel guilty about it, but it doesn't make you a bad person. There was no way you could've known the Earl's true intentions. I mean, if you knew the kind of man he was, you never would've brought him back, right?" She frowned. "I'm sorry, I just completely went passed my boundaries."

"It's okay," he replied. "It's just I don't want you blaming yourself. It's not your fault."

"And it's not your fault either," she countered, crossing her arms. "And instead of bottling everything up until you explode and can't help yourself anymore, you should find another way to relieve your stress. There's tons of people here who are willing to listen and help you, Allen. I'm one of them. Lenalee's one of them. Just because you want to help others doesn't mean you can't rely on them every once in a while. If you're that uncomfortable talking with one of us about it, at least rant to the Fourteenth. Believe me, it's the _least_ he can do since he implanted his memories into you."

"But-"

She let out a long sigh, cutting him off. Already she could tell the boy was going to be stubborn about the subject at hand. "Ever think of it this way? When you bottle things up, it's obvious. That's why people offer support. It hurts people more when you don't take their offer and continue to bottle it up even more."

"I just don't want to impede on anyone."

"Allen, if they're _offering_ moral support, it's not impeding," she told him sternly. "I, for one, do not consider it impeding if one of my friends need help. So there's one person you can go to knowing you're not going to trouble them for sure."

She was preparing for him to reject her words, but much to her surprise he actually nodded. "Okay," he said. There was an awkward pause.

"So..." she trailed off, urging him to continue.

"So?"

"Aren't you going to tell me what's bothering you?"

"There has to be a reason why the Fourteenth targeted you," he replied thoughtfully. "I mean, if he already chose me as his host, why would he choose another? I'll admit I don't know a lot about him, but he was very confident in his decision, so I can't see him suddenly choosing you."

"Komui didn't tell you, did he?" she replied uneasily. It seemed the man had left a lot of holes when he informed Allen. And she had a sneaky feeling he'd done it on purpose.

"Didn't tell me what?"

"The Fourteenth didn't make me the host of the Musician," she told him, nervously biting her lip. "He chose to make me the host of something he called an 'Accompanist'."

"An Accompanist?"

She nodded. "He didn't say what I was supposed to do, exactly."

"But it's likely something to do with the Musician."

"I think so. He mentioned looking everywhere for a violinist. Maybe by 'Accompanist' he means I'm supposed to accompany you when you play the piano?"

"Wouldn't he just say a duet, then?"

"Well, it'd technically be one. Basically, an accompanist is someone who plays a part that's less significant in a musical piece. It'd be just like..." she trailed off, before a thought suddenly struck her. "Oh! In the recording, there was a violin playing in the background while you were playing the piano in the Ark. Did you hear that too?"

Allen stared at her like she was trying to teach him rocket science. "Recording? Violin? I didn't understand a _word_ you just said. If you read the book, shouldn't you know?"

Rubbing her temples, she let out a long sigh. "Okay, listen carefully. In the twenty-first century, we have something we call the TV."

"TV?"

"It stands for 'television'. Basically, we have people we call 'actors' who act out play scripts. Only difference is, we have technology advanced enough to tape what they do visually and air it on the TV."

"So you all just got too lazy to walk to where the nearest play is taking place."

"No, that's..." she trailed off, blinking in surprise, "correct, actually." Once she'd recovered from her surprise, she announced, "alright, now that you understand how the TV works, we move on to manga and anime."

"Come again?"

"Anime and manga," she repeated. "The author who wrote your story is Katsura Hoshino. However, the reason I know how everyone and everything looks is because _D. Gray-Man_ - that's the title, by the way - is actually a manga. Manga is strictly pictures and dialogue."

"So this Katsura Hoshino _drew_ the story?"

"Yes."

"All of it?"

"Pretty much."

"Geez. You people got lazy with books too."

"Hey!" She defended, "I'll have you know, I read _plenty_ of books without pictures!"

"Sure," he teased, making her fume even more. Patting her head, he asked her, "okay, I'll take your word for it, Mattie. What's anime?"

She decided to let the nickname slide for the sake of ending her long lesson. "Anime is the same as manga, only it's an animation you watch on TV." No sense in confusing him even more by bringing up the computer.

"Wait. So people _act_ as us?"

"Not exactly. It's an animation people make out of computerized pixels." She smiled slyly. "So, in other words," she poked him playfully, "I used to think you were made out of ink and pixels."

"What are pixels?"

"Tiny - _tiny_ dots. So tiny you can't even see them with your eyes and it looks like a picture. Now you all look _much_ more human-like, though the animation was pretty impressive." Remembering she was not yet finished, she shook those thoughts from her head. "Okay, so now that you know what anime is, we'll move onto the recording. When they animated the part where you played the piano, they actually made a recording of the song you played. They had the piano, violin, and vocals. You mentioned hearing someone singing, but you never said anything about the violin."

"There was? I know I didn't hear one." His face lit up. "Could it have been just you who could hear it? If the Fourteenth really chose you to be the Accompanist, maybe you could hear it because you're supposed to play it."

She shook her head. "No. It was definitely in the recording. Anyone who listened to it would know the violin was there. I always thought it was there just to make the piece sound nicer, but now I'm not so sure."

For a moment, the area was silent as both allowed their new discovery to sink in. After a while, Allen gently reached for her hand, offering a small smile. "Come on," he said, leading her towards the door, "there was someone I wanted you to meet. It'll help take your mind off things."

She managed a smile, and followed after him as he began to pull her along, falling into step. "Say, where's Link?" she asked him.

"Right here." Said man popped up beside Allen, making the younger man twitch. "Good morning, Miss Scott," he greeted politely.

"Good morning, Link," she replied casually before looking back at Allen. "So, where are we heading?"

"Komui's office."

"Cool! I need to talk to him, anyway."

"Whoa, Bean Sprout!" Hearing Lavi's voice, her head snapped up to find him facing them a few yards away. "You're holding hands! With Mattie! I'm missing something here!" Both her and Allen grew red, pulling away from each other, but not without glaring at him.

"It's _Allen_!"

"_Madelynn_!"

The red-head merely grinned at their irritated faces, wrapping an arm around each of their shoulders and pulling them closer to him. "So, what are we doing today, buddies?" She chose to cover her snort with a cough.

"We're going to Komui's office. I need to ask him something, and apparently there's someone else I have yet to meet," she answered for the red-head, since it seemed that Link and Allen were not planning to supply him with such information. "Wanna come?"

"Might as well," the Bookman apprentice replied. "I'm hiding from Panda, anyway. He knows I hate work, so he'll never think of looking there."

"You're hiding from Bookman?" she inquired suspiciously. "What'd you do?"

"It's not what I did. It's what _you_ did."

"Oh, you mean the incident in the library. Sorry," she sheepishly apologized before stepping inside Komui's office after Allen and Link, Lavi following behind her. While Link positioned himself on the couch, she crowded around Komui's desk with Allen and Lavi, peering around the room for the person she was supposed to meet. She didn't see anyone.

"Ahh! You're here, Allen. Splendid." Komui pulled a medium-sized cage from behind his desk and carefully placed it on top of it, close to Allen's reach. Allen raised an eye brow.

"You put him in a cage?"

"According to Central, he kept wanting to bite everyone."

She watched as Allen gave a shrug, opening the door to the cage. Immediately, something yellow darted out from the depths of the container, making a beeline straight for her face. Letting out a yelp, she jumped back, only to pause as the creature merely nested in her hair.

"This is Tim, Mattie," Allen told her. "Tim, this is Mattie. She's a bit... temperamental, however, and really prefers to be called 'Madelynnn', though."

"I am not temperamental," she muttered, crossing her arms. That is, before she froze. "Wait... this is Timcanpy?" She exclaimed when he nodded, "how could I have forgotten about him? Tim's so cute and awesome! I love how he grins. Has he always done that? Or did Katsura just wait forever to show us such an awesome characteristic?"

She probably would've continued obsessing over the yellow golem had it not sprung upwards in surprise. For a moment, Timcanpy looked frantically between her and Allen, before it located its owner and darted for him quickly, practically knocking him off his feet as he collided against him.

"You can't do that anymore, Tim!" Allen exclaimed. "And calm down, would you? Mattie's another Exorcist. It's a long story, but we kinda have a connection."

"I have the reports back from Central of Tim's analyzation. They said they found nothing suspicious in Tim's and have agreed to leave you in peace for the time being." Komui informed Allen, "you will still be under surveillance, but other than that they have promised to leave you alone." As Allen basked in relief, the Supervisor turned to face her. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better," she replied with a smile.

"Excellent! Now, I have your uniform here somewhere, I just need to find it. Johnny made a new jacket for you," he told her while shuffling through the endless amount of papers on his desk.

"Komui," she said softly, "can I ask for a favor?"

Her words seemed to make everyone in the room stop to look at her, curiosity written on their faces.

"Of course," the man replied, though he too seemed to be surprised. "What is it, Madelynn?"

She took a deep breath.

"I would like to use the Ark to go to Enumclaw."


	24. Chapter 24

**_Author's Note_** - There was some slight confusion last chapter with Madelynn's decision to return to Enumclaw that I will clear up now. For those that might not remember, Enumclaw is the town Madelynn is from. It's town located in the state of Washington (United States).

As always, thank you to everyone who reviewed and added _Living Animation_ to their favorite and alert lists and, of course, for returning to read some more. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer** - I don't own _D. Gray-Man_. The original plot and its characters belong to their respectful owner, Katsura Hoshino.

* * *

The silence that followed was thick and heavy. Each man present in the room had various expressions stuck on their faces, some more comical than others, but it was obvious they hadn't been expecting such a request from her by their widened eyes and agape mouths. She felt uncomfortable being subjected to the stares, but forced herself to continue looking at Komui. One way or another, she was going to go to Enumclaw, whether they liked it or not.

"You..." Allen asked her in disbelief, "you want to go home?"

"What?" Lavi exclaimed, eyes as large as dinner plates. "We just met everyone this morning and you seemed happy!"

She spun around after hearing their remarks, suddenly aware that she'd given them the wrong idea. "No, that's not what I meant."

"Madelynn..." Komui trailed off, uncertain of how to approach the subject.

"No, no," she replied, waving her hands. "You're misunderstanding. I just want to visit." She turned back to face Komui. "I'm not trying to run away, Komui, I swear. I promise to come back. Just a few days. A day if you have to. I just need enough time to tell everyone I'm okay."

"Alright," the Supervisor replied, nodding. "I will grant you permission to return to Enumclaw on your promise to return. However, you will need to come back to Headquarters tomorrow night. I will also be sending other Exorcists with you for safety precaution."

"Thank you so much, Komui," she gratefully replied, beaming at him. Had there not been a desk that separated them, she probably would've hugged him; she was that thrilled. Remembering her profession, she straightened her composure. "Who will be accompanying me?"

"Oooh!" Lavi yelled out, grabbing Allen's arm and energetically waving it along with his own in the air. "We volunteer! We volunteer!"

She blinked in surprise. She'd been expecting one of them to object. "You do?"

Lavi nodded, at the moment greatly resembling a child in a candy shop. "Yeah! I want to be the first Bookman who ever time traveled."

"You're just trying to make Bookman proud so he doesn't hold the fact that you haven't been studying against you," she accused flatly, neither surprised nor angry.

"Pretty much."

"Might as well let you come. I'd hate to kill your only opportunity to remember something about the United States," she replied innocently, linking her hands behind her back and bending forward slightly to smile sweetly at him. Lavi laughed nervously, making it obvious that she was most likely correct.

Allen shrugged. "I'm really just coming to see what kind of food they have in the future."

Her eyes lit up. "Oh! They have-"

"Besides fish sticks."

Pouting, she crossed her arms and huffed.

"What do you eat besides fish sticks, anyway?" Lavi inquired, eye brow rising in interest. She thought deeply for a moment.

"Tuna." she answered as though she were making a comment about the weather. Everyone in the room seemed to sweat drop at her.

"Should've known," the red-head muttered.

"Oh!" Remembering another thing she'd wanted to ask, she turned to face Komui again. "May I invite Lenalee to come to Enumclaw with us too?"

"I don't see it as a problem, considering we don't have any missions at the moment. I have to limit you there, however, or else we'll have the whole Order going. And remember, Allen," said man stiffened upon hearing his name, "should anything ever happen to my dear, sweet, precious Lenalee, it will be on your head."

She snickered as Allen nodded quickly, stuttering, "you have my word!"

Shortly afterward, the group disbanded to collect their belongings before meeting in the Fourteenth's room. Immediately, uniform in hand, she set out to search for Lenalee. It took a while to find her, especially since she hadn't been to the science department in a few hours according to the scientist she asked, but she eventually found her in Jerry's kitchen, about to prepare coffee.

"Lenalee!" Slightly out of breath, she offered the older Exorcist a tired smile. "I was looking for you."

"Good morning, Madelynn," Lenalee replied, smiling at her. "Wait. What are you doing out of the Infirmary?"

"I was released this morning," she told her. "Lavi took me to meet the other Exorcists, and I just got my uniform. I'm going to change in a moment."

"Why don't you go change? I was going to run some coffee up to the science department. We could go together."

"Actually," she smiled, "I'm going to Enumclaw. Lavi and Allen were accompanying me, and I was wondering if you wanted to join too."

"Enumclaw?"

"It's where I'm from. I was going to let them know I'm okay and explain everything."

"Sure!" she chirped. "I'd love to come. When and where are we meeting?"

"The Fourteenth's room as soon as possible."

"Meet you there, then." Lenalee grabbed her by the arm, leading her out the door. "Come on."

Rushing to her room, she quickly changed into her new uniform. She folded her hospital gown neatly and set it on her bed; she would return it to the infirmary when she returned. Grabbing her backpack, she unzipped it and set it on her bed, pulling her cosplay from her dresser and stuffing it inside. Once everything she wanted to take back to Enumclaw was packed away, she pulled her backpack onto her shoulders and, taking her cosplay boots, left her room and proceeded towards the Ark, where everyone else was likely already waiting.

Everyone else was already present when she arrived, allowing them to set out right away. Allen stood and walked towards her, Link watching him carefully from his spot on the couch. Lavi sprung up beside her, making her jump.

"What's the backpack for? You're not trying to secretly escape from us, are you?" Lavi teased, making her redden.

"No," she quickly replied before he could continue. "I'm just returning things I don't need anymore. If I'm heading home for a day, I might as well exchange everything for stuff I do need."

"Don't mind him," Allen told her, "he's rarely serious."

"Hey!"

"Anyway," he continued to speak, sparring the red-head no pity, "you're going to have to make the gate to Enumclaw, since I've never been there before."

She paled as a thought came to her. Even though she was the Accompanist, she still technically wasn't the Musician. That very well could hinder any chance she had of returning to Enumclaw. "Will it still work even if I'm not the Musician?"

"I asked the Fourteenth, and he said it'll work as long as the Musician approves of it."

"Okay," she replied, nodding.

"In order to create a gate, you'll have to tap into your abilities as the Accompanist."

"Okay..." she replied, though much slower. "How do I do that, exactly?"

"Well, it helps to be specific about where you want to go. Choosing a place inside Enumclaw you've been to before should work." Timcanpy situated itself in his outstretched palm, opening his mouth wide and producing the Fourteenth's key. She blinked. Wow, that was a lot of... could she even call them 'notes'? "Normally, I just recite the poem in my head, but you may not be able to since you don't have the power of the Musician."

"'Then the boy went to sleep, and one or two embers alive in the ashes flared up in the shape of your beloved face'." She recited, as she read over the characters. She could hear the familiar melody and voice, sounding almost like a whisper in the back of her head. It was tranquil, but still haunting all the while. Maybe it was because she wasn't used to hearing it sang in English.

"Madelynn?"

She snapped out of her thoughts, jolting as she realized Allen was waving a hand in front of her face. "Sorry," she mumbled. Without waiting for him to speak, she closed her eyes, concentrating. She allowed herself to be drawn into the lullaby and, after a while, felt herself relax and began to sway lightly with its melody.

Feeling a sudden gust of wind, her eyes snapped open and she spun around. A gate stood before her, ready for access. The melody seemed to disappear as excitement filled her. She was finally getting to return to Enumclaw.

After taking a deep breath, she slowly walked towards the gate, her comrades following after her. Lenalee had moved so that she was directly behind her, patting her on the shoulder to help build her confidence. Without hesitation, she stepped through the portal, ignoring the momentary blindness before she stepped out of the Ark and into her destination.

The skies were a light gray, and the grass was damp. Holding her arms out just slightly, she enjoyed the breeze and breathed in deeply, taking in the smells of Washington she had grown to miss during her absence. All her nerves washed away, she spun on her heels to look back at her friends, all whom were staring at her in question.

"It's going to rain!" she cried out, overjoyed. "It doesn't rain enough in London! I'm a Washingtonian. I _live_ for rain!"

"She gets home and all she wants is to get poured on," she heard Lavi comment and turned, cocking her head as she noticed everyone sweat dropping. "Where are we, anyway?"

"Outside Enumclaw," she replied. "I didn't want to step out of the Ark right in front of people."

Examining the farmland, Allen commented, "this sure isn't the image I had of the future."

"That would be because we're in the middle of a field," she informed him before reaching forward and grabbing his arm and tugging him along. "Come on! Come on!" Without warning, she bolted off, leaving a very confused Exorcist in her wake as she yelled over her shoulder, "race you to the street!"

"Hey!"

At first, she laughed at Allen's cry, but he easily caught up to her. She tried to push her pace, but even then was no match for the other Exorcist as he pulled ahead with ease, making it to the road before she did. She frowned as he celebrated his victory, Lavi cheering for him in the distance. As both boys high-fived one another, she crossed her arms, quickening her pace until she caught up with Lenalee.

The surrounding area grew silent again as they walked along the side of the road. They continued like this for a while, and at one point she began to wonder if she was walking the opposite direction they were headed, but as she opened her mouth to suggest turning the other way she noticed the thin outlines of the town.

A familiar loud, rumbling sound filled her ears and she turned just as everyone froze. Link seemed to be the only one who turned with her, but even he was confused. A car was approaching them, and Lenalee covered her ears as it passed them, paying no heed to them. She couldn't help but wince. It'd been so long since she'd heard a car that the loud ones that rivaled lawn mowers hurt her ears.

"Oh, that was just a car." She explained, Lavi's eyes seeming to widen in interest with every word she spoke, "they're like advanced stage coaches, but don't require horses to pull it."

"_That_ was a car?"

She nodded. "Yes, Lavi. That was a car." She gestured towards the town a small distance away. "Well, we'd better keep going."

From the entrance of the town, it wasn't hard for her to find her house. The town hadn't changed a bit during her absence, it seemed, making it easy. Her school was on the outskirts of town, and just down the street it was on was the convenience store, and just beyond it her neighborhood.

Her companions were blown away within seconds of entering the small town of Enumclaw. It was almost worthy of a snicker; they'd seen _nothing_ yet. Enumclaw was a pretty small town. The majority of it was farmland, after all. Seattle was drastically different, and even then that didn't cut it.

"Wow," Lenalee breathed in awe. "It's so..."

"Advanced?" she offered, earning a nod from the older female in response. "I guess you could say that. Oh! There's my school!"

"The high school, correct?" Lavi clarified, studying the structure carefully.

"Yep," she chirped as she approached a crosswalk. Pushing the button, she turned to watch for their signal to cross, but instead was met with the sight of Allen and Lavi attempting to cross too soon. She leaped forward, grabbing both of them by their arms and yanking them back. "Whoa! We can't cross yet."

"Why not?" Lavi asked. "We have to cross sometime, you know."

"Yes, but here we have a method for helping pedestrians cross safely."

"Pedestrians?" Allen repeated, a questionable look on his face.

"People on foot," she clarified. "See those lights?" She directed to each of the four set of lights present at the intersection. "They direct traffic. As you can see, that car over there hasn't moved for a while. That's because they have what we call a red light. Red means the cars must stop, while green means they're permitted to go. Pedestrians, on the other hand, have the crosswalks. I pressed the button there to alert the machine that we wanted to cross that way. When it's safe to do so, that hand that's lit up there will turn into a person."

"That's well-developed," Allen commented, eying the equipment intently.

"Yes, but still check for the cars running the red light and trying to take a right onto this road from the one behind us. I'll take care of that, though. Just follow my lead." She let out a sigh as she was given blank stares; something told her she was going to get questioned a lot these next few days. "Just because we have a system doesn't mean people will follow it. Cars are a helpful means of transportation, but they can be just as deadly as a stage coach. More so, actually."

As they were crossing the street, she allowed Lenalee and Lavi to walk ahead and fell into step beside Allen. "Hey, what's wrong?" she asked him curiously, cocking her head to the side. She'd noticed him constantly staring at the lights while waiting to cross.

"Those lights; I've seen them before."

At first, she blinked, trying to piece together why he was so concerned about them. After a moment, she was able to remember."Oh! In your dream, right?" As soon as the words escaped her throat, his head whipped to the side, his eyes wide in surprise. She felt her face heat up slightly in embarrassment, making her look away as she mumbled, "sorry, that was not helping..."

"No, it's fine. I just wasn't expecting you to know about it."

She nodded, but was filled with concern when she looked up to see him still staring distantly. She'd never heard him comment about that dream before and, to be honest, had completely forgotten about it. But she wouldn't be forgetting about it. Not as long as it brought discomfort to her friend.

Lying a hand on his shoulder, she leaned forward slightly as they walked to meet his gaze."Does it bother you? I'm all ears if you need someone to talk to."

He shook his head. "There's nothing you could do about it, anyway. It's a dream. You can't stop dreams from happening."

"True, but I can still listen." Reaching forward, she grabbed hold of his hand, tugging lightly to pull him along. "We can worry about that when we get back, though. Right now, I just want to think of this as a vacation, not a mission. Even though our lives will return to what we call 'normal', I want to be happy." She gave him a smile that was probably the most genuine she'd ever offered him before. "My mom's always been a strict lady. She believes in hard work, and expects nothing less than hard work. My dad was the complete opposite, it seemed; he always preferred to enjoy the fun things in life. They argued a lot about it, but I came to think my own way. Hard work is important... but sometimes you need to reward yourself, or your progress means nothing at all."

He laughed, but stopped when she didn't follow along. "You don't _really_ think that way, do you?"

She could only stare at him. Had he ever taken a break before? She supposed they weren't given a choice anymore, as they were soldiers of the Catholic Church; the only people humanity could count on to save mankind. But what about before?

Well, she supposed he and Mana had been in the same shoes of a worker here in the twenty-first century that made minimum wage. Much like them, if he and his father didn't work, they had no food or shelter; simple as that. Now that she thought about it, most of the people in _D. Gray-Man_ didn't have the same luxury as she once had.

Compared to them, she'd had it easy.

"Yes I do," she replied and, placing her hands on her hips, she determinedly told him, "and that's why for the next two days you, Lavi, and Lenalee are prohibited to think of your regular lives."

"Eh?"

"You heard me," she told him. "You're sixteen years old and you've never had a day of fun in your life before! So come on. There's a _lot_ to do to have fun here in the twenty-first century."

By now, they were in her neighborhood. She paid careful attention to the houses, but it seemed that not much had changed. The nice elderly couple a few streets down from her had finally sold their home, it seemed. It saddened her a little; she'd been great friends with them and had wanted to say goodbye. Mrs. Akama, a woman in her seventies who she often talked with and helped frequently, had finished up planting the flowers she, herself, had never gotten around to finishing since she disappeared.

Finally, she saw her house. The single car her mother owned wasn't present, which was no surprise to her. It did make her frown a bit, however. Her neighbors were quite close with one another, and if she wasn't careful she could find the police showing up. Thankfully, though, not many people seemed to be home.

"Here we are," she announced, stopping to stare for a moment at her white house. The yard was only a few yards or so wide, with one tree decorating it besides the grass that was a dark shade of green. As everyone gazed at the sight, she nervously followed the pathway to where her front doorstep was, but froze as her fist rose to knock. What was she supposed to say in the off chance that someone was home? She was probably unrecognizable now.

Lenalee suddenly stepped beside her, smiling warmly at her. Immediately, she was filled with confidence; she could do this. Her mother might not recognize her at first glance - if she was home that is - but she'd definitely know it was her when she spoke. Taking a deep breath, she knocked loudly, and waited to see if anyone would answer.

"Is no one home?" Lavi asked her. She shook her head in response, turning to face him.

"I'll go get the key in the garage," she said quietly, carefully analyzing the area. When she was certain no one was around, she said before motioning for them to follow. "Come with me. I don't want people thinking I'm breaking into the house." Punching the pin number, she stood back and watched as the garage door rose, making eye balls almost pop out of the heads. "Handy, ain't it?" she commented before stepping inside, the other's following. Flipping on the switch for the lights, she pressed the button near the door to the house to close the garage door before pulling the floor mat up and retrieving the key her mother left in case one was ever locked out of the house.

Unlocking the door, she opened it and stepped inside, waiting until everyone had entered before putting the key back, turning off the light, and closing the door.

"Wow..." Lenalee breathed in amazement.

"This is your house?" Lavi exclaimed, "you must be rich!"

"Nope," she replied. "we're in the middle class. Go ahead and take a seat at the table. I'll get us all something to drink. My mother should have some juice or something of the sort."

She retrieved some cups from the cabinet above the microwave, setting them on the counter before opening the fridge, laughing as she realized Allen had rushed over to peer inside it. "Here, Allen," she replied, pulling out some yogurt and handing it to him. "Spoons are in the drawer at the far end," she added, pointing said drawer out. As he settled himself happily in his chair, eating his yogurt, she pulled out a pitcher of what looked to be Kool-Aid, filling the cups. Lenalee helped her carry the drinks to the table, where everyone eagerly grabbed their glass, quenching their thirst.

Remembering the handy technology the twenty-first century had, she mentally slapped herself for forgetting and stood up, walking over to where the phone was. "First piece of technology to explain," she said, "is the phone. It's more advanced, as you can see." Dialing the number to her mother's work phone, she frowned when she got an error message; it seemed her mother's number had changed. She poked around at the various papers on the fridge, hoping for it to be posted there, but it wasn't.

"What's wrong?" Link asked her.

"My mom's work number changed, so I can't call her. Guess we'll have to wait until she gets home."

"It's okay, Madelynn," Lenalee assured her, squeezing the hand she'd taken hold of while she was calling her mother. "Why don't you show us around?" She smiled at her. "We want to know more about you."

"Okay!" She tugged at Lenalee's sleeve. This, in turn, started what she could only describe as the great tugging line. The only one who did not participate was Link, as Allen was holding Tim by his tail with his free hand and Lavi was gripping his other arm. "This is our living room!" she announced when they made it into the next room. It was a simple room, with a single couch sitting against the wall, a TV directly across from it and in front of the window. The computer her and her mother shared was off to the side in a corner. "Have a seat," she said. "This is the television," she informed them, grabbing the remote and turning it on. Lavi was practically drooling when he saw the program. No surprise since it was the History Channel.

"What are the buttons on the TV for?" Allen asked.

"They control the TV too."

"You guys are _that_ lazy? First you refuse to leave your house to watch a play, and now you refuse to get up to push a single button!"

"Forty-five minutes here and you're already outdoing health critics." she muttered to herself before continuing, "well, that's the computer over there in the corner. Teenagers use it to surf the net."

"I thought people surfed waves?" Allen replied.

"Shhh," Lavi shushed them with a wave of his hand. "I'm trying to record."

"It's just another expression for exploring the Internet."

"The Internet? I want to see!"

Seeing how Allen was nearly jumping up and down in joy, she had no other choice but to give into his request. Guiding him over to the chair, she sat him down. "Scoot over," she told him, sitting down beside him once he complied. "Teenagers always share a chair with their friend." Allen stared at her as though she were crazy, but she merely pressed the power button and stared intently at the screen. Little did he know, it was cool to be crazy here...

She showed him a few basic web pages she found off of a random search engine. The Internet was huge and very complicated; a day wasn't enough to teach someone who'd never even touched a computer in their life before. After nearly a half-an-hour, she managed to pry her teenage friend away from the screen and direct him and the others upstairs. Lavi refused to budge from his seat, and she wasn't planning on stepping between him and the History Channel anytime soon.

"This is the upstairs bathroom," she said, pointing to the first door in the hallway. "There's also one downstairs in that small hallway connecting the living room and kitchen. This room here across the way is the guest bedroom." Truthfully, it belonged to her aunt before she married and moved out to live with her husband a few years ago. After she left, her mother converted the room into a guest room. "Right here is my mom's room, and," as she approached the door at the very end of the hall she stopped, staring at the closed door, "this is my room."

The door to her room was shut - and likely had been for a while now - which was different to her, as she always kept it open. She hesitated for a moment, uncertain if she really wanted to enter her room, but shook off her fear. What was there to worry about? She'd only been missing, right? And she was home now, so there was no reason not to go in.

Mustering the courage, she turned the door nob, pushing the door open quietly and stepping inside. She was surprised, however, to find that her room had changed. The walls were no longer that dull shade of white she'd had for as long as she could remember, but a light shade of gray - her favorite color. Her bed was now up against the wall where the window was mounted, directly across the room. Next to her closet sat her dresser and study desk, and on the wall across from it was her book case and music stand. Hanging from the ceiling was a banner that read "WELCOME HOME, MADELYNN".

"Whoa," was the only thing that came from her mouth. She didn't know what to make of it. Curiously, she opened her closet, peering inside. Her violin case was right next to her backpack, just as she expected. Only, her music was now in a plastic filing cabinet; similar to what a parent would buy their toddler to keep their toys in. From what she could see, the various sheet music she'd collected over the years from school was filed away in folders, along with the few books she'd received. Only, she couldn't recall having so many books. Cocking her head to the side, she opened the top drawer, pulling a bundle of books out that were neatly bound together with a card attached.

"Who's it from?" Lenalee asked her just as Timcanpy landed on her shoulder.

"Tabitha," she replied. "Some people donated and she and some of the other orchestra members got together to buy some violin music."

"That's so sweet!" Lenalee exclaimed. "And here you were, saying you were a nobody!"

She smiled sheepishly. Aside from Tabitha, everyone else who'd signed the card she had never spoken to before. "Certain circumstances can bring a community as small as this one together, kinda like the old Headquarters."

After carefully setting the bundle back into the drawer, she escorted them back downstairs, where they found Lavi still engrossed with the television. She and Lenalee giggled as they passed by into the kitchen. Knowing Allen's diet so well, she searched for anything she didn't think her mother would mind him eating, eventually settling on a hot pocket.

"Hey, Allen," she called out, fetching a plate and opening the package. "Come here. I want to show you something." Once he complied, she led him over to the microwave and, ignoring the laughter that erupted as his eyes widened in awe, proceeded to show him the electronic appliance in all its awesomeness. "It's called a microwave," she told him just before she heard the front door unlock. Blinking, she stared for a moment before it occurred to her that someone was home and rushed over to meet them.

She came to a halt just as the door opened, revealing her mother. She took a step inside, closing the door, before freezing as she realized she wasn't the only one present. "Who are you all and what are you doing in my house?" she demanded, reaching into her pocket for her cell phone.

She was too overjoyed to answer her question and could only grin.

"Mom!"


	25. Chapter 25

**_Author's Note_** - Hello, everyone! Yikes, this is came out later than I anticipated. I did a large amount of revising (so much that you might as well say I rewrote it), which is the reason it is so late.

Happy Holidays!

**Disclaimer** - I do not own _D. Gray-Man_. The original characters and its plot belong to their respectful owner, Katsura Hoshino.

* * *

After she'd spoken, she could only watch nervously as her mother's eyes widened. From behind her, she heard the rest of her companions enter the room and immediately the tension grew. The notebook dropped from her mother's hands, hitting the floor with a dull thud that seemed to echo in the silence. Her face was pale from shock - or was it fear?

No. It had to be shock. Her mother had to know it was her daughter standing before her. Maybe she no longer looked like the Madelynn everyone had known, but she still sounded like her.

Right?

Before she could as much as another word, however, her mother took a large step forward, peering at her face closely, as though studying her. "_Madelynn_?"

"Yeah," she replied. "It's me. Madelynn."

For a moment, her mother continued to gawk at her appearance before hesitantly reaching forward, grabbing hold of a small lock of her hair and inspecting it intently, rubbing it between her fingers. Then, without warning, she pulled her into a tight hug. "Goodness, Madelynn! Where on Earth have you been all this time?" her mother exclaimed before letting out a long sigh, releasing her hold on her and rubbing her temples.

Madelynn laughed sheepishly. "Well..."

Fortunately, her mother didn't seem to be looking for an explanation quite yet and, instead, was more concerned about the changes she'd undergone in her appearance. "And what _happened_ to you? Your hair's whiter than your grandmother's and you're only fifteen! And what about those ridiculous clothes and that face paint? You're dressed like you just got back from that whacky convention!"

"It wasn't _whacky_, Mom," she muttered, cheeks growing red in embarrassment. The moment was short lived, however, as her mother traced a finger over her scar, eyes immediately narrowing.

"That's not face paint," her mother said in a tone that demanded answers. Her head snapped up to look at her friends, sending them all a look she'd never seen her mother give anyone before. "You have a lot of nerve to keep standing there after what you've done to my daughter. If you're not out of my house in the next five seconds, I swear to God I'll whack you with my broom, just you see!"

Madelynn flinched. Her mother wasn't one to snap at people - especially visitors - but when she made a threat, she always followed through with it.

"Mom!" she cried, tugging at her sleeve. "You can't talk to them like that. They're my friends!"

Her mother stiffened, snapping her head back to look at her, betrayal evident in her eyes. "_Friends_?" her mother shrieked in disbelief. "You disappear for months without a trace, only to return home and tell me not to be angry at your abductors because they're your _friends_?"

"They're not my abductors, Mom!" she defended. "I wouldn't even be here if it weren't for them! They gave me food and a place to stay and helped me come back home!"

That seemed to put the brakes on her mother's fury. She froze, turning to look at the rest of the group. Everyone seemed to grow uncomfortable by this, however, and took a large step backwards, except for Allen. The boy merely stood there calmly as her mother focused on him. The anger was no longer present on her face, but suspicion still remained.

"You..." her mother struggled for words, "helped Madelynn?"

For a moment, it seemed her friends were going to remain silent, and she nervously bit her lip. The tension in the room was thick and was sending chills down her spine. She couldn't blame them, though. Who would jump in the middle of an argument between a mother and her daughter?

Right when she began to regret returning and causing this much havoc, however, Allen slowly nodded, cracking her mother a small smile. Everyone else followed his example, smiling warmly at her.

"See?" She told her mother, gesturing to her friends, "they're not bad people, Mom."

"Wait..." her mother raised an eye brow, "aren't they doing that thing your friends convinced you to do? The thing similar to Halloween."

"_Cosplay_, Mom."

"Aren't you kids too old for Halloween, anyway? You know, when I was your age-"

"You didn't go trick-or-treating anymore," she finished with a moan. "I get it, Mom."

"Alright, enough with beating around the bush." Her mother told her, crossing her arms, "you've got some explaining to do, missy. I know you enough to know you didn't just hop into a complete stranger's car and hang out with them for months. I received _no_ call from you at all."

Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she hesitantly nodded. "Okay, but you have to promise to believe me no matter how strange it sounds. And you can't-"

"Madelynn," Lenalee told her gently, moving so she was standing beside her, "it's alright. She'll understand. Just tell her."

"Well..." she started uncomfortably, uncertain of where to start, "to begin, I haven't exactly been here." Her mother gave her a questionable look, but she disregarded it for the moment. "That's the reason you haven't heard from me." She let out a long sigh. "Man, I don't even know where to start."

"Where you almost ran over Allen?" Lavi suggested with a small shrug.

She shook her head. "Nah, I guess I'll just from when I woke up." Either way, she was going to have to explain half of the events even more in depth. While her mother had likely picked up on bits and pieces of _D. Gray-Man_ between the times she and her friends' had watched and discussed it in her presence - not to mention she was willing to bet her mother had peeked into a volume to make certain it was age appropriate for her - it wouldn't be enough for her to understand. "I woke up pretty early. Everyone was still asleep, so I read the book I'd brought along to the convention with me. After everyone woke up, we went to Sakura-Con for the rest of the morning. Our hotel was only a few blocks down from where the convention was at, so Kyle's parents allowed us to do our own thing as long as we checked in with them frequently."

"So no adult was present when you disappeared, then." her mother noted.

"No, no one was around when I disappeared," she corrected her before continuing her story. "We all decided on Subway for lunch, and we did rock, paper, scissors to see who would buy the lunch and bring it back to our hotel room. Of course, I lost, so I bought the sandwiches and headed back to the hotel room." She paused for a moment, trying to determine the best way of explaining the next events to her mother.

"Madelynn?"

"I'm fine," she assured her. "I made it back to our hotel room, but when I opened the door, there was a town with cobblestone streets instead. It didn't take me long to realize it was the Ark from _D. Gray-Man_."

"Ark?" Her mother repeated, eye brow raised. "I don't think you're talking about a boat."

"No, I'm not."

Her mother shrugged. "Wouldn't be the first time. Innocence, CROWs, Noah, and now there's an Ark too. I think I will save myself the headache and refrain from asking you what on Earth an Akuma is."

"_Anyway_," she continued, wanting nothing more than to get everything off of her shoulders, "at first I thought it was a practical joke my friends were playing. It was silly to think, I know, but I wasn't sure what else to think. It didn't take me long to realize I wasn't at Sakura-Con anymore." She took a deep breath. "You see, Mom, I somehow walked into _D. Gray-Man_."

Much to her chagrin, her mother merely stared at her with a questioning expression. "I'm sorry, did I hear you correctly?" her mother asked her.

"Yes, you did." She gave her mother a pleading look when she still continued to stare at her bewilderently. "You have to believe me, Mom," she said, pulling her by each of her friends as she introduced them. "See? This is Lenalee. And this is Allen. And Link. And Lavi. They're not cosplayers. We always think of them as characters, but they're people too. Just like you and me."

"Shh." Her mother bent down slightly so she was at her level. "Don't get yourself so worked up over it, okay? I believe you."

Suddenly, a loud growl rang through the room, and Madelynn immediately turned to look at her friends. Allen's face was as red as a tomato. "Sorry," he muttered. Her mother blinked for a second before letting out a chuckle.

"Ahh, I remember now. You're the one with the large appetite." Her mother smiled at him. "Nevertheless, we can't have you starving now, can we?"

Just as she turned towards the kitchen, Madelynn told her nervously, "that wasn't all of it."

Her mother paused, looking back at her. "It wasn't?"

She took a deep breath and then, without warning or even thinking over her words, she blurted out so quickly that even Link blinked, "I tried to wipe off the face paint but my face started bleeding and then I _really_ got a scar and white hair. Then I was taken to Hevlaska, only to have Crown Clown split in half and her tell me I'm an accommodator for one of the halves and..." she trailed off, realizing she'd said everything and grinned sheepishly, asking the older woman, "can we have tuna noodle casserole tonight?"

For a moment, the rest of the room's occupants merely stared at her until her mother shook her head, holding back a chuckle as she stepped closer to her. "I see you're still obsessing over fish. You can blame your grandparents for that one." Her grandparents lived on the Oregon coast. Her mother and her frequently made the trip down to their house to visit them. "I'm just so glad you're alright," her mother said, pulling her into a tight hug.

She winced in pain. "Mom, I don't mind the hug, but could you please not squeeze my stomach too much? You're rubbing my injury."

"Your _what_?" Her mother pulled away immediately, staring at her sternly. "Just what have you been doing these past few months?"

"Exorcising Akuma and finding Innocence; the usual Exorcist duties. It's not _that_ bad, Mom. It's just sensitive."

Her mother's eyes bulged in disbelief. "Not that bad? What monsters would put a _child_ out on a battlefield? That's crazy!"

"Mom, we're _all_ minors here. And I'm not a child, I'm a young adult. Not everyone is compatible with Innocence, anyway. It's not like they pushed me out onto the battlefield and let me battle it out, either. Allen trained me."

"_Allen_ trained you," her mother repeated, and suddenly she felt very small as her mother gazed at her. "And how old is Allen, exactly?"

"Sixteen."

"Let me get this straight. Not only did the organization that's been housing you _force_ you to fight Akuma, but they left your life in the hands of a sixteen-year-old? Don't try to wiggle you're way out of this one. I've _seen_ these Akuma in that show you're always obsessing with!" Her mother seemed to finally grasp a hold of her emotions, letting out a sigh. "I know I should've limited your time watching television. It's destroyed any sense of logic you once had."

"Actually, I think the clowns at my parade chased it away..."

"Apparently." Her mother smiled, though, and she suddenly felt more at home. "But I suppose the important thing is that you and your clowns and their umbrellas are home safely," she said, ruffling her hair.

Madelynn grinned, but upon remembering that Allen was hungry, she asked her mother seriously, "really, though, can we have tuna noodle casserole?"

"Fine, fine." Her mother made her way to the kitchen, muttering under her breath, "since you're probably going through withdrawals anyway..."

"Not really," Lavi spoke. "She eats fish every-_ow_!" he howled as she stomped on his foot.

"Don't tell her that!" she hissed loudly, "she'd never let me eat another fish stick again!"

"Well you could've told me that instead of stomping on my foot!"

"Madelynn, that wasn't very nice," her mother scolded from her place in the kitchen, making everyone jump. "After you're done apologizing, why don't you figure out sleeping arrangements?"

Aside from the guest bedroom, which only had one bed, there was also the the hide-away bed and sleeping bags. Right away, she knew Lenalee would be staying in her room; both were girls, after all. After some discussing, the boys finally worked out their own sleeping arrangements. Lavi would be taking the guest bedroom upstairs, while Allen slept on the on the hide-away bed and Link slept on the floor.

"We have two air mattresses," she told them, stepping out into the garage with her friends following her, eyes peering around the room curiously. Her family had camped frequently when she was younger, so they had plenty of camping equipment that would prove to be useful during their stay. It took her a while to locate the air mattresses, but she eventually found them underneath some other gear.

"What's an air mattress?" Allen asked her curiously, studying the picture on the box closely. The others nodded in agreement.

"Oh, it's just like a mattress, only it's filled with air. Normally, mom and I use them for camping, but we're going to use them for tonight." she said, making her way to the living room, her friends in tow. Setting the boxes on the floor, she removed the cushions and pillows from the couch and pulled the hide-away bed from inside. Her friends' awed faces were almost comical. "This will be your bed, Allen. There's some blankets and pillows in the guest bedroom we'll get shortly."

As Allen and Lavi argued who'd get the privilege of using the hide-away bed for the evening, she opened one of the boxes and pulled out the air mattress, setting it on the floor. Lavi paused in his quest to steal the hide-away bed from Allen to stare suspiciously at it. "That doesn't look very comfortable," he informed her.

"That's because I haven't put air in it yet," she patiently replied, setting the equipment up correctly so that the air mattress would inflate. She chuckled as everyone's eyes bulged in amazement.

"Forget the guest bed," Lavi replied, "I want an air mattress."

"Okay," she replied, removing the other air mattress from its box and lying it on the floor a small distance away from the first one. She'd barely finished her task when she heard someone stand up quickly, as though alarmed, and turned her head to see Allen and Lavi both pointing wildly at the air mattress that was currently inflating.

"Is it growing?"

"Nope, just filling it with air. Unless one of you would like to volunteer to blow it up the old fashioned way."

Allen raised an eye brow. "Old fashioned way?"

"Just like you would blow up a balloon."

"I'll pass," Allen and Lavi deadpanned simultaneously.

"Thought so," she replied with a grin before standing up. "You can stay down here with Allen and Link. Lenalee, that means you can use the guest bedroom. You can come with me to get some more sleeping bags, pillows, and blankets so you can see it."

Both girls walked upstairs to the guest bedroom, where she rummaged through the closet in search of the extra blankets and pillows. She pulled out three pillows, one for each of the boys, and some blankets for Allen, along with a couple for Link and Lavi in case they got cold during the night. After both returned downstairs to drop off the blankets and pillows and set the other air mattress up for inflating, they made their way back upstairs to her mother's room to retrieve the sleeping bags from the attic.

"Are you okay?" Lenalee asked her once they'd climbed the ladder and began searching the place for the sleeping bags.

Madelynn paused, looking back at her. "What do you mean?"

"About leaving your mother," Lenalee clarified.

"I feel guilty," she replied after a moment of choosing her words carefully, "but it's the right thing to do."

"For the Order?"

"For everyone. If we can get here, the Earl could probably find a way too, and that would mean burdening us all with protecting another world. Besides, if I manage to stay here without getting dragged back to the Order, I would still have Crown Clown. Someone here would be greedy enough to use it for their own benefits, and I'm not willing to let Crown Clown be used for another's greed." Spotting the sleeping bags, the conversation completely slipped her mind as she exclaimed in victory, "found them!"

Lenalee chuckled. "I don't know why you aren't like this back at home. Don't you ever get tired being something you're not?"

"I usually keep to myself, so it doesn't bother me that much." She admitted, "but it is kinda nice to feel like I belong."

Lenalee didn't respond, instead focusing on climbing down the ladder. Once both were down, they descended down the stairs and headed into the kitchen, where all the noise was coming from. Her mother was finishing up dinner while Allen, being the gentleman he was, helped her. Both girls chuckled at the scene, Lenalee sitting beside Lavi at the table just as the timer buzzed loudly, making many of the room's occupants blink in question.

Eagerly pulling the oven door open, her attention was taken off the casserole as a familiar aroma she'd come to love washed over her. Much like a grade schooler who'd just spotted the ice cream truck, she let out a squeal, clapping her hands.

"Fish sticks!"

"Don't burn your fingers grabbing them this time please," her mother spoke up quickly, obviously determined to prevent such an episode.

"I know, I know," she replied, waving off her mother's warning as she pulled the fish sticks from the oven, promptly plucking one from the tray and popping it into her mouth. She immediately regretted it when her mouth began to burn, making her wave her hands wildly.

Her mother sighed at her, placing her hands on her hips. "Madelynn, dear, what did I just tell you about touching the fish sticks when they're hot from the oven?"

"Not to burn my fingers?" she offered innocently. "But I didn't burn them, though."

Her mother merely shook her head, handing her a glass of cold water. "What am I going to do with you?"

"Give me ice cream so I don't burn my tongue again?"

"If I do that, you might try to eat it all in one bite again and get another brain freeze."

"Hey, I was little. And you told me to eat it so it wouldn't drip everywhere. That's _your_ fault."

"It was your father's fault, buying you such a huge thing." Her mother pulled some plates down from the cabinet and set them on the counter beside the casserole that was now sitting on the stove. "Now be a good guest and serve your friends. Though, at the rate Allen eats, I'm pretty sure he could eat from the pan itself." Everyone laughed as the white-haired Exorcist's cheeks reddened.

"I thought you didn't like _D. Gray-Man_," she suspiciously remarked.

"Curiosity killed the cat," her mother replied. "Though, at this point, I think it's safe to assume curiosity at the very least is getting Timmy eaten."

From atop the woman's head, Tim grinned. "I see Tim's adapted to your nickname," Madelynn noted, scooping the dish onto plates for her friends. The table was meant to only accommodate four people, so her and her mother let her friends take the seats. Her mother pulled the computer chair from the living room to the kitchen table, sitting in between Allen and Lavi, but she opted for the bar stool and counter instead.

Her mother was conversing with them, but she didn't join in. Instead, she merely poked at her food with her fork, only taking bites when someone from the table looked up at her. Now was the time to tell her mother she intended to return to the Black Order, but her mind was void of words to say.

"Madelynn," her mother suddenly spoke, looking at her, "when are you supposed to leave?"

She was so shocked, her mouth fell open. Remembering she had food in her mouth, though, she quickly closed it. "You knew?" she stuttered in response, earning a nod. Numbly, she let go of her fork, staring at the steam that was slowly rising from the plate "How?"

"Link told me while I was cooking."

"I..." she began after a moment, "I didn't want to worry you. I know it hurts, Mom, but I had to come back. If I didn't, I would never forgive myself."

"Oh, Madelynn..." Her mother trailed off as someone knocked on the front door. Hopping off from the bar stool, Madelynn made her way towards the door, trying to determine who could possibly be visiting so late at night.

Pulling the door open, she was stunned to find three figures standing on the door step. All of them were dressed in winter attire, but she didn't need to peer through the darkness to recognize their laughter.

"Hi!" one of the figures, a female, greeted. "Is Ms. Scott here?"

Another one leaned closer to examine her. "Are you Madelynn's grandmother from Oregon?" It was no doubt the speaker was a male.

The last figure took a step forward, removing her hood as she smiled at her. "Please excuse us for intruding. It's our fault Lynn Lynn disappeared, and we know Ms. Scott is very lonely so we've been visiting her. Can you give her this?" She pushed what looked to be a photo album into her hands. "It's a scrapbook we made for her. They're all pictures we have of Madelynn."

For a moment, she could only stare in surprise. Then, without warning, she smiled widely before leaping at the girl before her, nearly throwing them off their feet.

"Maria!"


	26. Chapter 26

**_Author's Note_** - I'm sorry you all had to wait so long for an update. I've been very busy lately and haven't had as much time to sit down and write as I usually do. Therefore, my updates are likely going to be more monthly than biweekly for a while. I apologize to any disappointed readers.

On a more positive note, this chapter is longer than normal to make up for the extremely late update. And to thank you all for continuing to review and add _Living Animation_ to your favorite and alert lists. Thank you, everyone!

And thank you to **The one who wants to read more** and **Sairy-desu**. You wrote anonymous reviews, so I couldn't reply to them, but I still wanted to thank you both personally.

**Disclaimer** - I don't own _D. Gray-Man_. The original plot and its characters belong to their respective owner, Katsura Hoshino.

* * *

Enumclaw had always been a small and humble town.

Granted, people weren't as close as other small towns, but it wasn't every day that you walked into a store and came face-to-face with someone you'd never seen before. Even if she didn't know the majority of the people, they weren't entirely strangers. Many she saw on a frequent basis just by doing her daily activities.

She'd spent most of her free time studying music and helping her elderly neighbors, but it never bothered her, having always been content with it. Some of her peers would poke fun of her hair and hobby for music, but she eventually grew to ignore it. By the time she entered middle school, she wasn't concerned with fitting in or becoming a familiar face to anymore any longer.

Then her friends came along.

She'd met Maria on the first day of their seventh grade year. Both were in the same math class and had been assigned to the same table. After working together for a few weeks several, she'd been surprised at lunch one day to find her future friend grab hold of her and drag her across the cafeteria to where Kyle and Katie had been sitting.

And ever since, they'd all been friends.

Upon feeling Maria stiffen in her hold, she snapped out of her thoughts. She looked at her in concern, and for a moment their eyes locked until Maria let out a gasp, the scrapbook falling from her hands.

"_Madelynn_?" her friends exclaimed at once, eyes as wide as dinner plates. Nothing could contain her excitement, however, and she nodded eagerly.

The room was silent for a moment before Maria, who was the first to recover from her shock, held a hand against her chest as she let out a sigh of relief. "Madelynn, you're okay. Thank goodness." She opened her eyes to look at her again, though they were now filled with question. "But how?"

"Yeah," Kyle agreed with their hyper-active friend. "What happened to you?"

Before she could even answer his question, Katie stormed up to her, tracing a finger over her scar. "That's not face paint," she informed her, tone demanding answers.

Her face immediately fell. She'd been so overjoyed to see her friends again that she'd forgotten she'd be questioned. "No, it isn't," she answered, preparing herself for the long explanation.

"What is it, then?" Maria peered closely at her face before touching her scar as well. "Feels like a scar and looks like a tattoo. It's cool. Looks exactly like Allen's. What'd you use?"

She blinked. "Well, I... _guess_ I just used a wash cloth..."

Almost as soon as the words left her mouth her friends roared with laughter. She'd been certain they wouldn't believe her, but at the moment it seemed as though they weren't even moderately concerned. Or confused at her appearance.

"Okay, really Madelynn," Kyle spoke, looking up at her. "What'd you use?"

"Madelynn," her mother's voice rang from the kitchen, "don't leave the door open. You'll make the house cold."

Gesturing for her friends to come inside, she closed the door behind them, leaning against it. She could see the other Exorcists poking their heads out from the kitchen entrance, obviously interested in her guests. She smiled at them before looking back at her friends.

"The truth is, this scar isn't fake. It's real." Reaching up to grasp onto her hair, she gave it a fierce tug. "This is my hair. And this is how I've been dressed." Nervously, she scratched the top of her head. "I guess what I'm trying to tell you is that I'm not cosplaying."

"You're not?" her friends replied simultaneously.

Shaking her head, she told them, although she was already expecting them to mistake her story for being a joke. "The Fourteenth turned the door to our hotel room into a gate, so when I returned from Subway I walked into the Ark instead. And then Crown Clown split in half and I became its second accommodator. My body was too fragile, though, and tried to reject it so Crown Clown changed part of my DNA to match Allen's, which is why I now have white hair and a scar."

Once she was finished she took a deep breath, watching her friends for their reaction. All of them were staring at her, obviously having not expected such a story. She continued to watch them, though, hopeful they would believe her.

After all, they were friends.

Right?

Finally, Maria broke the tense silence, taking a step forward and wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "Madelynn, I know you're going through a tough time. And it's okay, we're here for you. It's _our_ fault, not yours. Your abductors will pay for doing this to you, but we can't do that until we know what happened. Think hard for us, okay?"

Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to unclench her fists. "I just told you. No one abducted me. At least, no one you can have arrested, anyway."

She watched as her friends exchanged glances with one another, obviously not quite certain of what to think. After a moment, Katie followed Maria's lead, standing on her other side. "It's okay, Madelynn. There's no rush. You're safe now, so just start from the beginning."

Her eyes met Kyle's patient ones, followed by Maria's concerned own. It surprised her slightly; Kyle was usually in a rush when it came to anything, even with something as simple as discussing anime. She suppressed a giggle, recalling those days when she was still just an ordinary person and was frequently ordered by the boy to step away from her instrument and read the new chapter of _D. Gray-Man_. It was highly humorous, now that she thought of it.

Suddenly, a giggle escaped from her throat and her current dilemma was momentarily forgotten as her friends blinked.

"Uhh, Maria...?" Kyle started.

"Don't blame _me_," Maria, who was currently positioned behind their male friend, quickly defended herself. "I did nothing."

"Sorry," she apologized, cheeks reddening slightly as she told them, "I just remembered that time Kyle demanded I drop everything I was doing and read _D. Gray-Man_."

"I think you hit your head really good, Lynn Lynn," Katie teased her. "Kyle does that _every time_ there's an update for it."

"Yes, but that time I told him I couldn't read it at that moment because I was practicing my music and-"

Remembering the event, Kyle burst into laughter. "I remember that."

Maria began to bounce around in excitement, a common action on her part. "Oooh! Are you talking about the time Kyle hid your music and refused to return it until you read the new chapter?" She let out a laugh. "Does anyone else remember the look on her face?"

Katie was next to burst into laughter. "Ha! I wish I could've taken her picture, she was so livid! It was like Allen when Kanda calls him 'bean sprout'!"

"Considering I was so mad I refused to discuss the chapter, I'm pretty sure Kyle wished he'd called Allen the evil vegetable instead." A thought coming to her, she thoughtfully added, "you know, I never actually did discuss the chapter. Guess I really _was_ livid."

After everyone shared another laugh, Maria returned the conversation back to a more serious state, pulling her into a hug. "I'm so glad you're okay. We've been so worried."

"I'm sorry I worried you."

"We don't blame you," Katie told her. "In fact, I'm certain _everyone_ will be relieved once the people who've been holding you all this time is behind bars."

Nervously, she bit her lip. "Umm, about that..."

"Don't worry, Madelynn." Kyle grinned. "It'll be over soon. Come on, let's go read _D. Gray-Man_."

"Yeah!" Maria agreed. "That'll cheer you up in no time!"

Normally, she would've jumped at the chance to read _D. Gray-Man_, but this time it just made her sick to her stomach. And the fact that all activity had stopped in the kitchen was even more nerve racking. She was certain her comrades were silently listening.

"You can't throw them in jail."

The words rolled right off her tongue before she could stop them, and she wasn't sure what had overcome her to say such a thing without thinking carefully over her words, but for once she didn't care.

For once, it was nice to not have to think of how to explain.

Though, it wouldn't be very nice of her to leave her friends hanging there in surprise, so she took another deep breath. "They're not to blame. They gave me shelter, and food, and clothes. I wouldn't even be standing here if they hadn't helped me."

"Madelynn, we're not talking about the people who helped you. We're talking about the people who _abducted_ you," Maria clarified.

"Well, he's technically dead and living in reflective surfaces, so I don't think you can really put him behind bars," she replied. In response, her friends stared at her as though she were half crazy. "You know, Mom handled this a lot better than you guys did. And she hasn't got the slightest clue about _D. Gray-Man_."

"What does _D. Gray-Man_ have to do with this?" Kyle asked her.

"I just told you," she mumbled, trying hard not to make her irritation evident. It wasn't their fault her story was going to sound crazy no matter how she told it. "I walked into the _D. Gray-Man_ world."

"Madelynn..." Katie started, trailing off. The girl was obviously trying to pick her words wisely.

Maria, on the other hand, had never been the kind of person to do such things, and instead finished for her, "you hit your head. Hard."

"Actually, I didn't hit my head until after I became an Exorcist. Never do that, by the way. You'll end up with a concussion and get picked on by the rest of the Exorcists."

Suddenly, she felt something land on her head, making her freeze. Her friends' eyes widened in shock, and it was only when she felt a tail poke at her back that she realized Timcanpy had deemed her head suitable enough to perch on. Though, while she was aware her friends were soon going to be demanding answers, she found some comfort in his presence.

"Hello, Tim," she greeted, reaching to pat the golem on the top of its body. "I see you've decided to relocate."

She could practically sense that the golem had grinned at her before its tail wrapped tightly around her wrist. To say the least, she was puzzled by this and merely blinked before Timcanpy gave a rather harsh tug, dragging her towards the kitchen. In response, she let out a yelp, but fighting back proved to be futile as the yellow bird-like creature was quite fervent in her returning to where everyone else was at.

When she reached the kitchen, the Exorcists were standing by the entrance, though still out of sight, smiling sheepishly at her. Link and her mother were sitting at the table, and she watched in confusion as the pair nodded when Lavi met their gaze. Almost as soon as she witnessed this, the red-head sprung forward, poking his head out of the entrance and grinning at her friends as they let out a shriek.

"Yo."

"Sorry, Madelynn," Lenalee told her. "They weren't believing you, so we decided to help you out by making our presence known."

Seeing her friends stumble into the room, confusion and disbelief evident on their faces, she shrugged. "I can't really complain. Thanks." Looking back at her friends, she waited for one of them to speak. At the present moment, she wasn't sure what they were thinking. They could easily just think the Exorcists were just really good cosplayers.

But neither of them spoke a word, their eyes as large as dinner plates. She smiled, and was about to speak again when Maria took a step forward, eying the other Exorcists with calculating eyes.

"Well?" she said after a moment impatiently. Her tone was one that Madelynn had never heard before.

Allen blinked in confusion. "Huh? I'm sorry, ma'am-"

"Maria," Katie warned, lying a hand on her shoulder. Maria let out a huff - obviously still convinced they were abductors - but didn't argue, instead turning back to face Madelynn.

"Am I the only one suspicious of these people being just ridiculously good cosplayers?" Kyle asked warily, breaking the tense silence.

"Kyle has a point," Katie agreed. "Having a good cosplay is one thing, but sounding exactly like the person you're cosplaying is entirely different."

Suddenly, Maria sharply turned on her heels, looking at Allen with a look that made Madelynn let out a sigh of relief. Finally, one had gotten the idea.

"You're Sanae Kobayashi!"

And right as the words left her friend's mouth, she slapped her forehead.

Allen, on the other hand, merely stared at her in confusion. "Sanae Kobayashi?"

Maria frowned, obviously disappointed the voice actor was not present, and soon crossed her arms. "You _don't_ know who Sanae Kobayashi is?"

"No, I'm afraid."

"Madelynn would rather stuff her nose in sheet music, and even _she_ knows who Sanae Kobayashi is."

Letting out a long sigh, she decided to step in. "Maria, please stop pestering Allen. He's confused about this world enough already."

Kyle let out a laugh. "What's so confusing about Sanaei Kobayashi? She's Allen's voice actor."

The rest of the Exorcists' heads snapped in her direction fast, making her blink. "_She_?" The horrified look on Allen's face was almost priceless.

"Sanae Kobayashi is just the person who gives you a voice in the anime," she told Allen, patting him on the back reassuringly. "She's trained to sound like a teenage boy."

"I'm not worried about _that_," he replied. "I sound nothing like her, right?"

She smiled sheepishly. In truth, he did, only his voice was slightly deeper. Though it did take her a while to get used to hearing him speak in English, as opposed to Japanese. Of course, if she said this his pride would likely wash down the drain. "No, no, of course not."

"Okay, what's going on?" Katie demanded, taking a step forward so that she was looking at Madelynn directly, eyes stern. "Who are these people? And why are you all cosplaying? That isn't even your cosplay, Madelynn."

Resisting the urge to sigh once more, she took a deep breath. "I'm not cosplaying." Both Katie and Maria opened their mouths to retort, but she added pointedly, "after all, you said it yourself that this scar wasn't face paint."

"Face paint isn't the only thing you can use to draw Allen's scar, though," Kyle argued. "Sharpie works just as well."

Having finally grown frustrated enough, she grasped onto the arm of the person closest to her, who happened to be Maria. The girl let out a gasp in response, having noticed that the hand that now latched onto her arm hard was black and rough in texture. It was something she'd been planning on hiding, not wanting to give everyone in Enumclaw too many surprises at once, but since her friends weren't believing her she now had no choice.

"That isn't paint either," she told her softly. Releasing her hold on her friend's arm, she slowly reached for the stunned girl's hand. Gently guiding the hand, she allowed Maria's finger tips to brush over her scar. With her free hand, she grabbed hold of a lock of her hair, tugging hard on it. "I'm not lying, Maria. And I'm not crazy either. Look at what's in front of you. This is my hand; I've done nothing to it. My hair's real, it's just white; it's not dyed, and neither is it a wig. And this scar wasn't made from Sharpie or face paint."

After she finished speaking, she released her hold on Maria, and she watched as the girl's arm numbly fell to her side. Maria continued to stare at her in disbelief, obviously torn between believing her friend or siding with reality. "There's a bump where your scar is," she quietly said after a moment, "which would mean that the skin split there at some point."

"Come to think of it," Kyle said thoughtfully, "these people cosplay Allen, Lenalee, Lavi, and Link really well... a little _too_ well, in my opinion. It's one thing to do it well, but they've got every last detail. I can't explain it, but all I know is no cosplay could ever be this good."

"Kyle does have a point," Katie mumbled. "Not to mention they sound _exactly_ like the characters."

Suddenly there was a flash of green bright enough to light up the kitchen. Fully aware what had just occurred, she turned away from her gaping friends and mother to see who had activated their Innocence. Much to her surprise, Lenalee stood there, her Dark Boots glowing slightly. Having never been on a mission with her before, let alone spared, it was her first time seeing her Innocence in person.

Needless to say, they looked _way_ cooler than they appeared in the anime.

Allen and Lavi shared a glance before both nodded, immediately following the Chinese Exorcist's suit and invoking their own Innocence. For a moment, she could only stare, too stunned to speak, before whirling around to face her flabbergasted friends. At first, they merely stared at the scene before them, mouths slightly agape, before it finally sunk in.

"Holy cow!"

"You really didn't hit your head!"

When Maria didn't speak at all, she started to grow concerned. "Maria?"

"So many questions..." the girl mumbled. "Maybe you should just tell us everything."

A small smile tugged on her lips.

"It started when I opened the door to our hotel room..."

"...And that was my first night."

When she looked away from the floor, where she'd focused her gaze the past hour or so as she recalled the events that marked her first day at the Order, and at her friends, she studied each of their faces as she waited for a response. None of them - not even the energetic Maria - had spoken a word while she was telling her tale, and she was beginning to wonder what thoughts were floating about in their heads. Each of them had a thoughtful look plastered upon their face as they allowed her words to sink in.

Everyone was currently in the living room. Kyle, Katie, and Maria were sitting on the couch. She'd positioned herself on the floor, sitting criss-crossed while Lenalee sat beside her. Allen was standing next to Lavi, leaning against the wall just to the left of her. She could only assume her white-haired friend was content at the moment, as Link was currently conversing quietly with her mother in the kitchen. Lenalee had said something about them discussing her fate as an Exorcist.

"Whoa."

That was all that came from Kyle's mouth. She blinked in surprise. Normally he had more to say.

"Let me get this straight," Maria stood and proceeded to recount everything they'd been told, "in an effort to recruit you as his 'accompanist', the Fourteenth abducted you using the Ark. After failing to get away from Allen, Kanda, and Lavi, you were escourted back to the Order, where you were later determined to not be a threat. And then, just to make this all the more crazy, Crown Clown split in half and made you its second accommodator, but not before altering your DNA because your body was too fragile, thus the reason why you are now cursed."

"Yes."

Crossing her arms, the girl rolled her eyes. "Well, as long as it didn't _kill_ you."

"I'm still alive, aren't I?"

"Point taken."

Katie stood, pulling her into a hug. "I'm just glad you're okay. We've been so worried."

"Sorry I worried you all so much," she responded, returning the hug. "I came here as fast as I could when I found a way to get back here."

The room suddenly grew quiet once more, and it became obvious to her that her friends were aware of her intentions. Maria was the first one to break the tension, however, taking a step forward. "But you're not staying in Enumclaw."

It wasn't a question; it was a statement.

"I have to go back," she told them.

"Madelynn." Hearing Lenalee's voice, she turned to face her, finding the older female standing directly before her. Laying a hand on her shoulder, Lenalee told her, "you have a say in your future. No one has the right to choose for you. Enumclaw is your home."

"It's okay, Lenalee," she assured her, knowing full well her reasons behind being so weary of her returning. "I decided on my own that I would return to the Order."

"You don't have to do this," she told her sternly.

"Yes, I do," she argued back, making sure to maintain her composure. "When I became an Exorcist, I swore I would fight. We're comrades. _Friends_."

"I know that," she fought back. "And as your friend I can't let you do this. Your home is here."

"Most of our comrades have no home. All they have left is the Order. And for that reason, we have created a bond that cannot be broken, no matter what. We may not be related by blood, but we're still family." Her gaze met Lenalee's again, only this time her eyes were filled with stern. "You taught me that, Lenalee."

"I know that, Madelynn, but-"

"I'm apart of that family now," she cut her off, smiling. "You're like my older sister. The kind, caring one that always looks out for you no matter what." Making her way over to the other Exorcists, she added, "and Lavi, you're my older brother. That brother that likes to tease his sister, but she can't help but love him anyway because he's still family."

Stopping in front of Allen, she paused for a moment. While it was true the boy had impacted her life just as much in the months she'd known him - if not more - she found herself unable to call him a brother.

Well, she _did_ have a slight crush on him. Assuming Miranda and Emilia were accurate.

"What'cha have to say about Allen, 'eh?" Lavi asked her slyly, obviously eager to get a reaction out of her.

"Umm..."

"Now, now, let's not keep him waiting!"

"Well, you're definitely not the annoying brother," she said, choosing her words carefully. "But... I don't really consider you a brother." Grinning at him, she told him, "you're that best friend you can go to for anything, no matter how small it is. Who's over so much they might as well live with you. The kind of friend who is literally eating you out of the house. And because they've eaten you out of the house, there's no more fish sticks in the freezer and you want to yell at them for not sharing it, but you find that you can't." A few snickers filled the room and she allowed herself to join in before taking a step forward and, without hesitation, pulling him into a hug. "But most of all, you're that friend who's so close that I might as well just call you my brother."

At first, Allen said nothing, but then she felt him return the hug. "Mattie..."

"Tell me you want me to stay here and when we return you're going to be known as 'bean sprout' for a month," she threatened. "I'm going back whether you like it or not." Not even leaving him any chance to argue, she released her hold and made her way back to where Kyle, Maria, and Katie were standing.

"Just stay safe, okay?" Katie told her.

"And try not to be such a klutz when you're out on the battlefield," Maria added, grinning ear to ear.

Scratching the back of her head, she told them sheepishly, "sorry, too late to tell me that. I tripped over a tree root on my first mission."

"And somehow scraped your hands," Lavi added.

Katie gave her a questioning look, but before she could say anything Maria exclaimed, "oh yeah! Where's your mother, Lynn Lynn? I have something for her."

She vaguely remembered her mentioning something about having a scrapbook with pictures of her when they'd first arrived. "She's in the kitchen talking with Link. I'll take you to her." Katie and Kyle followed after them as they entered the kitchen. Link and her mother were sitting at the kitchen table, a cup of what looked to be coffee in front of each of them. Their conversation immediately came to a halt as they realized they were no longer alone.

"Hi, Ms. Scott," Maria greeted. "Kyle, Katie, and I made you a scrapbook. We put all of the pictures we had of Madelynn in it."

Gingerly taking the scrapbook, her mother flipped through a few pages slowly before closing it. Pulling Maria into a hug, she murmured, "that's so sweet of you. Thank you very much."

"Man, it's already ten. My curfew was an hour ago," she heard Katie mumble. "We'd better go, Maria."

"Yeah, my curfew was an hour ago too," Kyle said, laughing nervously.

Her mother shook her head at them. "Alright, you three. Let's get you all home." She reached for the keys that were lying on the counter.

"No, no, it's okay. Maria's staying the night, and Kyle and I are neighbors."

"And have you three disappear just like Madelynn did? Don't think so."

"Can I come too?" Madelynn asked.

"I'd love to, Madelynn, but our van isn't going to fit everyone."

"Stay here, Madelynn." Kyle told her. "Besides, you've got Allen in your house. You might come back and find he's eaten you out of the house."

"_Hey_!"

She had to hold in a snicker after hearing Allen's voice. "That wasn't very nice, Kyle. Allen wouldn't eat me out of the house." After a second, she mumbled, "I'd take him to a buffet and let him eat them out of the house."

Letting out a long sigh, her mother shook her head again. Madelynn merely grinned. Her mother seemed to have gotten into the habit of doing such a thing. "You haven't seen your friends, so I suppose I'll make an exception just this once. We'd better make it quick, though."

"Okay!"

"I wanna come too!" Lavi yelled from the living room.

"He's fascinated with history," she told her mother who was staring at the entrance way quizzically. "Just let him go."

"There's eight seats, right?" she asked her mother, earning a nod in response. With this in mind, she entered the living room, where Allen and Lenalee were sitting on the couch. "Anyone else want to go? We have room for one more."

"I'll stay here," Lenalee responded, though nodded her head toward Allen. Quickly devising a plan in her head, she took the vacant spot next to him.

"Wanna come along, Allen? It'll be fun."

"I can't. Link has to supervise me, remember?"

She exchanged a glance with Lenalee. "You're going," both said simultaneously, practically dragging the startled boy from the couch and into the kitchen, where Link was heading to meet them.

"Can Allen go with us?"

"You should know full well by now that is not possible, Miss Scott. It's my duty-"

"You wouldn't want my mother catching wind that Allen's under surveillance. She's never read _D. Gray-Man_ so she won't know Allen really isn't dangerous." Leaning closer so Link could hear her, she added in a low voice, "my safety's already at stake by being an Exorcist. What if she begins to think I won't even be safe in the Order? Surely she'd ban me from returning."

Truthfully, her mother was already partially aware of Allen's situation, knowing he was indeed innocent. Her mother had no knowledge of the Fourteenth, however, and she had no plans to enlighten her this fact anytime soon.

Link's eye brows were furrowed, and she could see that he was thinking over this deeply.

"She already finds Leverrier to be inhumane. If she were to ever find out he hit me she'd be furious."

Suddenly, the man twitched. "Are you _blackmailing_ me?"

"No, of course not," she innocently replied. "Just thought you'd like to know Mom can be one of those scary, protective parents. I think she gets it from being a lawyer. She used to work a lot with criminals on trial."

For a moment Link continued to stare at her, as though searching for any signs that she was lying. When he couldn't find any, he begrudgingly gave in. "So if I don't monitor Walker she'll let you return?"

"Highly likely."

The man let out a long sigh. "If it's for the sake of the mission, then fine."

Satisfied with his answer, she nodded before turning sharply on her heels and grabbing onto the sleeve of Allen's Exorcist coat. "Great! Come on!" she said, practically dragging the bewildered boy towards the front door.

As her mother was putting on her shoes and coat Madelynn looked back at Lenalee, who had seated herself on the couch. Both waved at one another before she heard the door open and, after smiling at the older female, followed everyone else the door.

Almost as soon as the doors to her mother's green van were unlocked, everyone piled inside. Kyle immediately claimed the passenger seat in the front, while Katie and Lavi sat in the seats directly behind him and her mother. Maria, Allen, and her sat in the back, with Allen sitting in the middle.

Seeing Allen staring at her quizzically as she fastened her seat belt, she mentally slapped herself for almost forgetting to inform him. "Everyone's required to wear seat belts. They protect you in case we crash." Giggling as the boy searched for his own seat belt, she told him, "you're sitting on it." As she helped show him how to fasten it properly, Katie helped Lavi with his own.

"I don't get this world at all..." Allen mumbled.

Remembering the boy had yet to meet Maria, she gestured toward the girl, telling him, "Allen, this is Maria. Maria, this is Allen, though you obviously already know him."

For a second, a very awkward silence filled the back. Though Allen broke it after a moment. "It's a pleasure to meet you," he told her politely.

The girl seemed to snap out of her momentary shy state - which was something she'd never seen before, as she was normally very talkative - as she immediately started bouncing in her seat in excitement. "Allen!" Madelynn had to stifle laughter, assuming she was going to hug the boy tightly any second now. "You're so cool! _Way_ more awesome than Kanda, if you ask me. But if you let anything happen to our Lynn Lynn, we'll hunt you down and make you wish you were an Akuma."

She wasn't certain which had been most scary: Maria's threat, or the fact that she'd said it all in a sweet and carefree tone.

Unsurprisingly, Allen merely nodded. "I won't let anything happen to Madelynn," he assured her with a small smile.

Maria grinned at him in response. "Good." About that time the van pulled into Katie's driveway and she unbuckled her seat belt. "Bye, Lynn Lynn! Come home safe, you hear?"

"Okay. Bye, guys."

"Take pictures!" she heard Kyle holler as he hopped out of the van, closing the door behind him. Katie rolled her eyes, but as hard as she tried couldn't hold back laughter.

"Bye, Madelynn," she said, flashing her one last smile before sliding the door closed. Once the three made their way inside their homes, her mother backed out of the driveway before they drove away. Leaning back in her seat, Madelynn attempted to peer through the tinted windows as the vehicle grew silent.

She snickered a little, remembering Kyle's demand for pictures. Of course, the boy hadn't been serious and merely was just trying to lift the mood a little.

Come to think of it, she _did_ have that digital camera her mother had handed down to her when she'd gotten herself an upgrade...

A small smile appeared on her face.

Kyle would be so bewildered, it'd almost be priceless.

"So hungry..."

That was likely the fifth time those words had left her mouth in the past hour that she'd spent trying to fall asleep. So far, nothing had worked to make her fall asleep.

Although that might be because counting sheep just made her all the more hungry.

Turning over, she glanced at the clock that was sitting upon her windowsill. It was already one in the morning. Yawning, she straightened her pillow before lying on it once again, pulling the covers tighter around her. Closing her eyes, she began to drift off to sleep finally.

Until her stomach let out a rather loud growl.

"It's one in the morning!" she hissed. "Can't you wait until breakfast?" In response, her stomach growled again. Letting out a long sigh, she mumbled to herself as she sat up in her bed, "I suppose not."

Slipping out of bed and straightening her nightgown, she crept over to her door, careful not to make any noise as she exited her room. The hallway was dark, but having passed through it so many times she didn't need any light to see where she was going.

After making her way to the kitchen, she silently began searching through the cabinets, hoping to find some crackers. She had no idea how much it would take to wake Allen, Lavi, or Link, and she wasn't about to find out. Unfortunately, her mother didn't seem to have any at the moment, and so she was forced to look in the fridge. Much to her frustration, however, there wasn't anything that could be turned into a midnight snack.

"Mattie?"

After nearly jumping out of her skin, she whirled around to face the entrance of the kitchen. Allen stood there, rubbing his eyes sleepily.

"Umm..." She tried to come up with a logical excuse as to why she was rummaging through a refrigerator at one in the morning, but in the middle of her thinking her stomach gave another pronounced growl. Blushing, she gently closed the door, leaning against it. "Sorry to wake you..."

"It's alright. I'm a light sleeper anyway."

Smiling sheepishly, she told him, "I'm heading back upstairs. You should try to go back to sleep."

"Couldn't sleep?"

"No, it wasn't that." She felt her cheeks heat up as her stomach made its presence known once more. "Don't laugh at me!" she hissed when she caught him snickering. "It won't stop growling..."

"That would be because you're hungry."

"It's one in the morning, though."

"Is there any leftovers you can eat?"

Opening the fridge once more, she responded after a moment of searching, "just the tuna casserole. We can split it."

"How'd you-"

"You're _never_ full," she cut him off, pulling the casserole out of the fridge and sticking it into the microwave. Once it finished heating up, she pulled it out and, after grabbing two forks, led Allen out onto the back deck. Sitting on the porch swing and placing the dish next to her, she waited for Allen to sit down before handing him a fork and digging in.

For a while, neither spoke. The air was chill, but it felt nice. At the Order, it was only on rare occasions that people were allowed outside. As little as she got out - since she was still technically learning to use Crown Clown - she could only count it as a blessing. How long had it been since anyone from the science department had been outside?

Shaking those thoughts from her head, she looked back at her companion. He seemed to be thinking deeply as well, as he was chewing slowly.

"Allen?"

Snapping out of his daze, he looked at her. "Yes, Mattie?"

"Why do you always call me 'Mattie'?"

He was silent for a moment. "I don't know. It's like with you guys and 'bean sprout'. I don't get why you all always call me that." He took another bite of the casserole, chewing it for a moment before swallowing it and resuming. "I called you that so you would talk to me instead of isolating yourself all the time, even if it was just to yell at me. I guess it just stuck."

It seemed plausible enough. Though, when she thought about it, there'd been several times Allen and Lavi had called her 'Mattie' and she didn't get aggravated.

Almost as though it hadn't bothered her the slightest bit.

The look on her face must've been one of pure horror, because Allen was raising an eye brow at her now.

"You and Lavi called me 'Mattie'..." she mumbled, still in a state of shock.

"Yeah, so?"

"And I did _nothing_?"

The boy burst into a fit of laughter, and for a moment it looked as though he were going to fall off the swing any second. At first she was surprised, having never really heard the boy laugh before, but once it sunk in she felt her face heat up.

"Lavi and I were wondering when you would notice," he told her after managing to contain his laughter. She was still pouting, though. "It's not that big of a deal, Mattie. Just means you're getting used to your nickname."

"So if I just keep calling you 'Beanie', you'll see that it really fits you eventually, right Beanie?"

"Just don't ware it out," he muttered darkly, a wave of gloom washing over him as he chewed on his fork irritably.

"You do know what this means though, don't you?" she said, leaning forward.

Allen merely stared at her questionably.

"You wore out my nickname."


	27. Chapter 27

**_Author's Note_** - As always, thank you everyone for your support. I'm thrilled you're enjoying _Living Animation_ and will continue to do so in the future.

Also, thank you to **Makii**. I couldn't respond to your review personally, as it was an anonymous review, but I still wanted to thank you properly.

**Disclaimer** - I don't own _D. Gray-Man_. The original plot and its characters belong to their respectful owner, Katsura Hoshino.

* * *

It was a little after nine when Madelynn woke up the next morning. Sunlight was pouring through her curtains and into her bedroom, and she could hear birds chirping right outside her window. This served to rouse her awake, and she promptly rolled over, pulling the covers over her head. After realizing that the sweet bliss of sleep was no longer in her gasp, she grudgingly sat up in her bed. Repositioning herself so that her feet hung off the side of her bed, she let out a yawn as she stretched.

A normal routine for her. That is, until she realized she wasn't in her room at the Order anymore, and instead back in her bedroom in Enumclaw. Not quite awake yet, she rubbed her eyes sleepily, trying to determine how this occurred before memories of the previous day struck her hard.

She'd used the Ark to make a gate to Enumclaw.

She'd told her mother everything that had happened to her.

She'd finally gotten the chance to tell her friends she was okay.

Springing out of bed - after all, she was leaving today and was not about to waste anymore time in her room - she darted across her room to the closet. Dressing into her Exorcist uniform quickly, she headed out of her room and down the hallway toward the stairs. As she passed by the guest room, she took note of its vacancy, assuming Lenalee was already awake. It didn't take long for her to smell eggs and French toast - her favorite breakfast - to which her stomach gave a rather pronounced growl.

Descending down the stairs, she could see as she looked over at the living room that everyone else was already awake except for Lavi. Said red-head was snoring loudly from his place in the sleeping bag, making her snicker inwardly. Allen and Link must've awake; the hide-away bed and remaining sleeping bag were vacant.

When she arrived at the kitchen, no one was aware of her presence, so she took advantage of the opportunity and stood near the entrance for a moment to see what everyone was doing. Her mother's back was turned to her as she worked intently on preparing what looked to be scrambled eggs. Off to the side was several plates stacked full of French toast, and her mother was still making more as she talked with Link. He seemed to have found some cake mix and was currently in the process of making the batter; knowing the blond, he wanted to try a modern-day oven. It made her wonder a bit how different it was from Jerry's. She hadn't ever really bothered to look at his kitchen equipment the few times she'd been in his work space, but she knew right off hand it wasn't what ordinary home in the nineteenth century would have.

And lastly was Allen and Lenalee. Both were sitting on the bar stools, flipping through the scrapbook her friends had prepared for her mother. Several of her mother's photo albums were stacked beside them, giving her the impression they'd been awake for quite some time. Lenalee was flipping through the pages at a moderate pace, one of them occasionally making a comment quietly as they pointed to a picture.

"Spying, are we?"

She jumped upon hearing Lavi's voice, spinning around quickly to face him as everyone else paused in their tasks, staring at them in mild surprise. "I'm not spying!" she immediately denied, crossing her arms.

"Morning, Lavi, Madelynn!" Lenalee greeted, waving.

"About time you two woke up, sleepy heads," Allen teased.

"It's nine in the morning," she retorted. "Quit acting as though you're always up early or else I guarantee I'll start dragging you out of bed at the crack of dawn."

"Considering it took you half of the morning to get out of your own bed, I'd pay to actually see you up that early."

"Oh, believe me, she gets up that early," her mother chimed in, flashing him an amused smile. "School starts at seven in the morning."

Lavi stared at her like she was crazy. "Seven in the morning?"

Madelynn nodded in response. "Yep. School starts at seven and ends at two." Leaning on the counter, she peered at the photo album. "What pictures are you looking at?"

"The photographs your friends gave your mom," Lenalee said, beaming at her. "You look so cute with red hair! Why do you hate it so much?"

"I don't hate it," she replied truthfully. "Sometimes I just wish I had a more... normal hair color. Like brown or something."

"Red _is_ normal. What would make you say that?"

"Kids with red hair are often subjected to torment," her mother informed her friends. "Which I don't understand. Red hair is very pretty. Natural red hair isn't like those funky shades of red portrayed in animation. They're always this obnoxious shade of red that one can see from a mile away." Obviously, her mother had completely forgotten that Lavi fell into that category, and she was enjoying every minute of watching Lavi stare in disbelief. "It's a shame it's no longer red. You would have been amazed at how wonderful it looked on her if you were ever given the chance to see it in person."

Madelynn grimaced. "Mom..." she whined.

"I would have loved to," Lenalee told her mother before reaching forward and grabbing a strand of her hair. "What happened to your curls though, Madelynn? Or did you always curl your hair yourself?"

"I used to have natural curls," she replied, blushing slightly. No one had ever commented so much about her hair before. "When my hair color changed, it lost its curls, so it's just straight now."

Lenalee leaned further over the counter, seeming to be examining her face. "It doesn't look as nice when it's just straight and plain," she said before nudging their other white-haired companion. "Allen, don't you think she should do something with her hair?"

It was priceless the way he jolted in surprise, his eyes widening. He likely would've choked had he been eating. "_What_?"

"Something with her hair," Lenalee repeated. "Don't you think it's too plain?"

"Lenalee, I'm not really the one to ask..."

"Aww, but Bean Sprout!"

A devilish smirk appeared on Allen's face. "But Lavi would be the better person to ask."

She could swear she had just met Black Allen in person.

"What?" Lavi shook his head frantically. "_You're_ the one who's been looking at Mattie's pictures and commenting about her hair! I'm a man, for Pete's sake! I couldn't care less about hair!"

"We'll see how the next lady you flirt with takes it when I tell you don't care about her hair," she interjected calmly.

"You wouldn't..."

"Oh, but I would."

"Madelynn, that's not very nice," her mother scolded without even turning, engrossed in her task of preparing breakfast. Lavi grinned at her as she frowned.

"I'm sure he's used to it, Miss Scott," Link told the older woman. "Your daughter wouldn't be the first person to make such threats."

"What'd the poor boy ever do to you, Madelynn?"

"He won't stop calling me 'Mattie'!"

Her mother let out a long sigh, turning to face her. "Madelynn, your father _always_ call you that."

"He called me 'Cinder-Mattie'. And besides, I already share my name enough already. Why would I want a nickname _everyone _uses?"

"You let Allen call you 'Mattie', though! What does he have that we don't?" Lavi said. Allen smiled devilishly once more, crossing his arms arrogantly.

"I'm her favorite character," he told Lavi," therefore I get special privileges."

"Now, now, Bean Sprout," Lavi scolded playfully as he wagged a finger at the younger man, "we don't use such vulgar words."

Madelynn couldn't prevent herself from blinking. Their red-haired companion had practically resembled her mother.

"Alright, you three," her mother cut in, waving them over, "come get your breakfast."

One by one, everyone grabbed a plate and filled it with French toast and scrambled eggs before heading over to the table. As her mother conversed with Link at the counter, the Exorcists carried their own conversation. She answered the questions they had about the twenty-first century while they ate their meal. Mostly, everyone was just curious of what life was like in - from their perspective - the parallel universe.

After some thinking on where they should go for a couple of hours while Link spoke with her mother - he had requested that they were not present while he worked out an agreement with her - the group decided to visit her school first. Lavi was talking nonstop about it, anyway, and she needed to return the books that were still in her room. Clearing their dishes off the table, she stuck them in the sink before heading upstairs to get ready. Today was supposed to be an early release day, according to Maria, so they would need to head out in about a half-an-hour.

As she looked in the mirror, she couldn't help but glare at the length of her hair. She'd never been a very big fan of long hair, as it always seemed to get in the way or be a pain to take care of, especially since her hair tangled so easily. Now that she was an Exorcist, however, her hair had grown to be even more annoying. It always got in her way no matter what she did, and it seemed to make her a good target. Several times already, Akuma had grabbed her by her hair.

Which always hurt.

Nevertheless, she was determined to fix this problem one way or another. Plus, it could serve as a new slate for her. She'd screwed up as an Exorcist enough already and really just wanted to throw all her mistakes aside and get it right this time.

Making her decision, she reached into a drawer, pulling out a pair of scissors. Her mother had cut her hair several times herself to save money, and had even taught her how to do it. Carefully, she worked, making sure not to cut crookedly.

"_Madelynn_?"

Jumping, she glanced in the mirror, seeing Lenalee standing in the entrance way, gawking at her. Lowering the scissors, she turned to face her, smiling sheepishly. "I'm cutting my hair," she told her.

"Why? It looks fine the way it is."

"It's annoying," she protested.

Lenalee let out a sigh before she stepped into the bathroom, taking the scissors from her. Thinking she was going to scold her for trying to cut her hair, Madelynn opened her mouth to speak. However, before any words could be spoken, Lenalee reached forward and grabbed a lock of her hair, holding it between her fingers as she examined it carefully.

"How short do you want it?" Lenalee asked her after a moment.

"Err..." She wasn't sure what to say, too stunned to even speak. Thinking carefully, she responded after a moment, "a little above my shoulders, please."

Lenalee nodded in response, and proceeded to cut her hair. They stood in silence for a while, the constant snipping of the scissors the only sound being made. She thought of asking her if she was mad at her for cutting her hair. Lenalee had always wanted to grow her hair out after losing the majority of it during her fight with the level three Akuma they'd encountered while in China, after all. Many times she'd commented on her hair, always mentioning how she liked that it was long.

"You know," Lenalee's voice pulled her from her thoughts, "you could have told me you wanted to cut your hair. I would have done it for you."

"I thought you would've refused."

"I would have advised against it, but I wouldn't have refused. It's your hair, not mine."

"I'm sorry."

She saw Lenalee blink from the mirror. "For what?"

"I broke my promise. I haven't been using the hairstyle you taught me."

Lenalee giggled lightly. "It was only a suggestion. I'm glad you didn't go through with it, though. You looked like one of those expensive dolls."

"I think we all are until we accept who we are."

"Pardon?"

Madelynn looked up, meeting Lenalee's gaze in the mirror. "When you first became an Exorcist, didn't you ever feel empty? Like you had no soul?"

As Lenalee contemplated over her words, she closed her eyes, recalling her very first battle. So many emotions had welled up inside of her then that it was a wonder she'd been able to even think straight. It'd taken just one look at the Akuma for fear and horror to overwhelm her entirely.

But an Exorcist's fear was far different from any other ordinary person's. Just the thought of Akuma would make adrenaline pump through her veins as Crown Clown pulsated. As gentle as the Innocence was, it was always thirsty for battle. And it seemed that over time Exorcists grew accustomed to that same thirst as well.

She knew better than to voice these opinions, though. All of them tried to live as normally as possible, though many of them knew their former lives were out of reach now that they were Exorcists.

"Yes," Lenalee admitted quietly after a moment, tearing Madelynn away from her thoughts.

"I did too. I always wondered what I was doing, being an Exorcist when in fact all I wanted to do was go home." She let out a dry laugh. "I feel silly now. Why'd I even spend all those months trying to push everyone away? It was ridiculous. Now I just feel like I was blinded by sheer stupidity."

"It's not your fault," Lenalee told her. "You weren't the only one afraid."

She blinked. "Huh?"

"I was scared of you."

That alone was enough to make her stare at the girl in disbelief. She'd scared Lenalee? The girl who, even without her Innocence, was still willing to do everything in her power to continue fighting?

"Just about everyone was scared of you; especially Allen," Lenalee continued, avoiding her gaze. "We thought you were a spy for the Earl, yet you looked so harmless, so scared. No one was sure _what_ to think." She took a deep breath. "But, that first day at lunch, Allen insisted on sitting next to you." She paused again, but this time to look at her and offer a small smile. "I think he saw himself in you."

"In me?"

Lenalee nodded. "I'm glad he did, though."

"You are?"

"Of course! Why wouldn't I be? If he hadn't gone through with his word and sat by you, I wouldn't be your friend." The older Exorcist beamed. "Everyone got over their fear once they realized how wonderful of a person you really were."

As soon as she heard those words, she whirled around to face the girl. For a moment, she was too speechless to speak. "Really?" Her eyes hardened slightly, however, as she added, "I like everyone too. That's why I'm cutting my hair."

Those words sounded really corny once they slipped off her tongue, she quickly realized. But she'd be lying if she said she cared.

Lenalee lowered the scissors, appearing to be stunned by her words. "Why would you do that?"

"When Road offered to take me home, I realized how much I didn't want to leave. This is my path now, and no one can change that. Not even the Earl." Absently, she rubbed her arm. "I _want_ to be an Exorcist. Crown Clown needs someone to help keep Allen safe and aid him, and I need an Innocence so I can fight. Our paths have intertwined, and I will follow them both."

"Just don't tell Allen," Lenalee quietly told her after a moment. "He already feels guilty for what happened. He doesn't need to blame himself for this too."

Deep down inside, something told her that Allen already knew. Crown Clown and he were close, after all. She had no plans to confront him about Crown Clown's own intentions in making her an accommodator, though. "I didn't plan on it."

"Thank you," Lenalee said before focusing her attention on cutting her hair. "Okay, let me just get these last few strands even... and we're done!" She smiled practically from ear to ear as she turned her slowly to look at the mirror. "How do you like it?"

As her eyes fell upon her reflection, she blinked. Her hair reached just below her shoulders; the perfect length. Turning back to face her friend, she smiled. "I like it. Thanks, Lenalee. I still think my hair's going to get in the way, though." A thoughtful look appeared on her face as gathered her bangs, which were the same length as the rest of her hair, pulling them towards the back and holding them so they combined. "Hmm, that would keep them out of the way, I guess." She reached with her free hand into the drawer she'd retrieved the scissors from, pulling out several elastic hair bands.

"Can you braid?"

"Yes... why?"

Lenalee smiled, prying her hands from her hair. Once she complied, she braided her bangs so that they made two skinny braids before pulling them around her head to the back before braiding them together. "There! Now your hair won't get in the way when you're in combat." Before she could even thank the girl, she grabbed her wrist and pulled her out of the bathroom and down the stairs.

"Lenalee!" she protested, trying to free herself from the girl's grip so she wouldn't be dragged into the kitchen. Her attempts were futile, however, as Allen and Lavi poked their heads out from the room next door, eyes growing wide.

"Whoa!" Lavi exclaimed, pointing furiously at her. "You cut your hair!"

Lenalee rolled her eyes. "Well, don't just stand there like an idiot, you two. Tell her what you think!"

Something told her Lenalee was assuming she was nervous about her image. "No, no," she interrupted, holding her hands in front of her as she dismissed the command, "it's okay. It's just hair."

"You wanted to change your image to reflect who you were now, didn't you?" Lenalee shot back. "So stop trying to pass it off as nothing."

"Bean Sprout's the boyfriend," Lavi responded, giving Allen a push that made him stumble forward, "so I believe that's _his_ job."

There was a long and awkward silence.

"Lavi," Allen finally had the courage ask, his eye twitching, "who'd you get that from?"

"No one," the red-head replied innocently. "I was just out for a nightly stroll, minding my own business, when I rounded that corner and got front row seating to a romantic confession. I was just in time for the kiss, too!"

That last sentence was all it took for her to choke on the apple juice she was drinking.

"Lavi!" Allen growled out, "didn't you have anything better to do besides peeking on us?"

"No, not really," Lavi replied simply, and she had to resist the urge to wipe the smug grin off his face.

* * *

The walk to Enumclaw High School wasn't very long. Her friends seemed to enjoy the clear skies, though it humored her a little how they'd been so surprised to open the door and find that not even a drop of rain had been left on the ground. Of course, she herself was used to it. After all, it was exactly how Washington was; no other place on Earth could compare to its natural beauty. Especially after a heavy rain fall when the clouds parted and sunlight poured out onto the wet pavement.

And to make it all the more better, Link had stayed behind.

She had nothing against the member of Crow. He wasn't to be blamed for the way the Order was treating Allen, after all, and when one got to know him, he was rather friendly. But she knew that not having the man breathing down Allen's neck all the time relieved her friend. She, herself, grew unnerved whenever she watched Link flip open his notebook and jot down notes, occasionally glancing at their fellow white-haired Exorcist.

Now there was no tension in the group, though, and the lonely look she often saw in Allen's eyes wasn't present. They all knew Allen tried his hardest to cope with Link's constant presence, but in her opinion he had enough problems on his slate to deal with already.

Shaking her head, she forced those thoughts to the back of her mind. She couldn't think of unhappy things. For Allen's sake, they needed to stay positive.

She was drawn back to reality as Allen's hand wrapped around her own, giving it a gentle squeeze. "What's wrong?" he asked her when she looked at him.

"Nothing." she said truthfully, adding with a smile, "it just turned out to be a nice day."

"It was raining earlier this morning," he said after a moment, frowning. "I don't get Washington at all."

She let out a laugh. "How come?"

"After it rained, it was sunny. Lenalee and Lavi didn't even believe me. Am I going crazy or something?"

"Nope. It happens a lot here."

"I wish it was like this in London."

She blinked, casting him a rather suspicious look. "I thought you hated the rain. It rains here in Washington _way_ more than London."

"You were right about the rain, though. It's peaceful."

"I'm glad you see it my way." She teased, "it's only October, though. You should come back during the spring when it rains nearly every day. We can see the rainforest, too."

"Sounds like a good plan."

She blinked, coming to a stop. "Seriously?"

Allen shrugged. "Why not? We should do _something_ fun once everything's over."

She smiled. "Sounds fun."

When they arrived at the school, there were only a couple of more minutes left to spare before the students would be released. She was thrilled to find that nothing had changed since she'd last been in Enumclaw, but it also made her a little nervous.

After all, she'd certainly changed. She wouldn't have been surprised if no one recognized her.

School buses and cars crowded the parking lot, making her friends' eyes widen in awe. She watched, fully amused, as they studied every last bit of their surroundings carefully. In a way, their interest reminded her of a kindergartner on their first day of school.

Leading them further on, she pointed out and identified various objects she was certain they had no knowledge of. About the time they made it to where the vehicles were parked, the school bell shrieked. She stifled laughter as Lenalee covered her ears while Allen and Lavi glanced around suspiciously, trying to locate where it'd come from.

"That's just the bell," she informed them. "It just means that school's finished." She gestured for them to follow as she began to climb up the steps to the front door. "Come on!"

As they entered the building, her friends' eyes nearly bulged out of their head as they saw the massive amount of teenagers heading their way. Having dealt with the raging crowds so many times, she immediately pushed her way through, staying close to the side.

The others weren't so lucky.

After a few seconds, she realized they weren't following her anymore and spun around, panic welling up in her when she saw none of them in sight. Searching frantically while ignoring the students that were shoving her, she finally located them. Lavi had ended up getting pushed back outside and was now waving his arms wildly, looking to be begging for her help. In the chaos, Lenalee had gotten knocked over and Allen was currently trying to pull her back onto her feet.

Rushing over to their aid, she pushed aside a group of boys she recognized from her science class last year. "Don't you have a bus to catch or something?" she asked them, cutting off their long rant directed at Allen. It seemed that during her absence they hadn't changed. "Certainly you have something better to do." The boys glared at her before continuing on their way. After she was certain they were finished, she extended her hand toward Lenalee, pulling her up. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," the Chinese Exorcist replied, before glancing around. "Where'd Lavi go?"

Giggling, she pointed toward the exit, where Lavi was still flapping his arms wildly. To see someone who fought Akuma on a daily basis so horror-struck by the crowd was highly amusing for her. "Outside. It appears that he's not very skilled with crowds," she said before ordering the two Exorcists to stay put and going to rescue the red-head.

Once Lavi was done accusing her for purposely trying to abandon him, they set out again, but this time she was extra careful and made sure no one got swallowed up in the crowd. After a few minutes, the crowds died down enough so that her friends could breathe and let out long sighs of relief.

Her first stop was at Mrs. Woods' classroom. Mrs. Woods had been her English teacher last year and had lent her a book she'd been using for her book report. Unfortunately, she'd never gotten the chance to return it - let alone even finish the book. When she arrived at her destination, she was disappointed to find her teacher absent from the room, but entered anyway, her friends following her inside. Taking a sticky note from her former teacher's desk, she wrote a quick note before sticking it on the front cover of the book and placing it on her desk where she knew she would find it.

The only task remaining on her list was returning her textbooks to the book room, but she decided to make the most of it and point out various places in the school. She showed them the library and, when Lavi's interest immediately perked, allowed them to go explore it for a few minutes. When they came across the cafeteria, she made a point to direct Allen toward it. They weren't permitted to enter, but she gave him a tour of the place through the window.

Along the way to the book room, Lavi asked many questions, and she patiently answered them. Surprisingly enough, several people recognized her and excitedly greeted her. She happily responded to them, but merely told them she wasn't allowed to tell anyone what had happened to her yet. This disappointed them, but she knew it was for the best. They wouldn't have believed her had she told them what'd really happened to her over the months of her disappearance.

She approached the window of the book room and, offering the woman behind the counter a shaky smile, pushed her books towards her. "Welcome home," the woman told her cheerfully before proceeding to check in her textbooks. "Will you also be checking out your new textbooks?"

"I haven't forecasted for my classes yet," she told her, and left it at that.

The woman nodded in understanding. "I'll be here when you're ready for them," she said before flashing her one last smile. "We're all just glad you're okay."

Madelynn nodded, returning the smile. This time it was much easier, though it still pained her that she was technically bidding everyone at her school farewell. "Thank you," she said and then turned to face her friends. When they looked at her, she gave a curt nod, signaling that it was time to go.

They exited the school and once they made it out to the street she stopped, turning back and looking at her school one last time. It would be the last time she stepped inside the building for a while. Who knew how long it'd be before she returned?

_If at all,_ she said silently to herself, but quickly banished the thought. No one would die. She was certain of it. Deep inside her, however, she knew she would eventually encounter death at some point during her journey. Everything was reality now, after all.

Noticing that Allen was staring at her in concern, she pushed her thoughts aside and smiled warmly at him. An idea suddenly came to mind, and she immediately perked up at it.

Anything to get her mind off the harsh realizations of reality.

"Allen, how would you like to try fast food?"

* * *

"I don't get why they call it 'fast food'."

"Allen, I've already told you. They call it 'fast food' because it's food that's prepared and served quickly."

"It took _forever_, though!"

Sighing in frustration, she held the door open for Allen to step through. "It was only two minutes. Did you _not want_ fresh French fries?"

"But Jerry-"

"You can't compare other cooks to Jerry, Allen. Face it, the man is unimaginably fast when it comes to preparing food," she told him flatly. Out of all the things in their world, Jerry puzzled her the most. Even when everything was reality, the man still had inhuman speed when it came to preparing food. She'd tried to make sense of it several times, but the whole thing just gave her a headache. "So will you just admit fast food is faster than a tavern and let us move on?" No way was she going to back down when he was wrong.

Allen frowned at her before promptly stuffing a handful of French fries into his mouth. "Fine. But only because the fries are good."

She smiled at him, satisfied that she'd won the argument. "Thank you," she told him before making her way into the kitchen, where Lavi and Lenalee had disappeared into the moment they'd returned home.

Upon entering the kitchen, she immediately noticed that Link had finished baking the cake and was now cutting it into slices. Eager to get a slice, she followed Allen's suit and seated herself between her mother and Lenalee.

"Walker," Link said, pausing momentarily to look up at the boy as he told him, "it is time. Go connect a gate to Headquarters for the Supervisor."

She blinked in surprise. "Komui's coming?"

Allen nodded. "He wanted to speak with your mother before we left." As Allen got up and headed upstairs to the guest bedroom, which had become the location for connecting gates, she looked at her mother questionably.

"Mr. Lee will be looking after you," her mother informed her. "He's a responsible man, so I trust that he'll make sure you're cared for well."

"Yes, he is..." she said awkwardly, trying hard not to grin in amusement. She doubted her mother would've found him suitable for the job had she known otherwise. "Why is he coming so early, though? I'm not leaving until tonight."

"I'd like to get to know the person who's going to keep you and your clowns out of trouble."

"My clowns aren't really into making trouble. They prefer to lend Californians who move up here their umbrellas."

"Californians?" Lavi repeated questionably, raising an eye brow.

"People who live in California, a very, very hot state."

"How do you know if they're a Californian?"

"Well, from a distance you can identify them by their umbrellas..."

Her mother let out a long sigh, but before she could speak Komui entered the kitchen, Allen in tow. Madelynn immediately vacated the chair she was sitting in, gesturing for him to sit. Grabbing a cup from the cabinet, she filled it with coffee before setting it before him.

"Thank you, Madelynn," Komui said, smiling warmly. He took a sip before setting his cup back down on the table. "First of all, I want to thank you for your cooperation, Miss Scott." He told her, "It is true that the Black Order's had a history of forcing our Exorcists to fight, however I want you to know that forcing your daughter to do something against her will is the last thing that I would want as a Supervisor." Tension filled the room as the Exorcists grimaced, knowing exactly what was coming next. "This is an unusual case, I must say. It has been a while since we encountered someone compatible with Innocence from a separate dimension. Given the circumstances, I am more than willing to pull the extra strings to allow her to go. The last thing Central would want is a government accusing them of kidnapping, after all."

Allen and Lenalee bowed their heads, as though certain of what would come next. Lavi's face remained the same, though she could tell he was growing disappointed.

She opened her mouth to object, but her mother smiled softly at her. "I appreciate your concern, Mr. Lee, but that won't be necessary. I am fully confident that you will care for my daughter properly."

"Mom..."

Her mother merely smiled at her, standing up and walking over to her. Tucking a strand of hair behind her hair, just as she'd done many times before, she pulled her into a tight hug. "I understand this is what you have to do. So just stay safe, alright?"

"I will," she promised.

"In that case," Komui stood, stepping over to Madelynn and patting her on the head. "We are delighted to have Madelynn as an ally."

"And I trust that you will follow through with my expectations, Mr. Lee."

Komui nodded. "Everything with law enforcement has been worked out. Since you gave Madelynn the 'okay', there should be no more problems. Another of our Exorcists is being educated privately. His educator received Madelynn's academic requirements and has agreed to take her as a student as well."

"And her check-ups?"

"We have an infirmary in Headquarters, where Madelynn will be housed. I will see to it that she is given frequent check-ups. The infirmary has also received her medical records."

"Good."

"Excellent," Komui replied, smiling. "Now, is there anything else you need before you return to Headquarters?"

"Will you take care of Loony, Mom?" she interjected, only realizing it was random after the words escaped her mouth. "Sorry," she mumbled as several pairs of eyes fell on her.

"Loony?" Everyone excluding her mother and herself repeated in confusion.

"My clown fish. You all slept out there last night and didn't even notice him?"

Allen and Lavi laughed nervously. "We noticed him," they replied innocently, slipping into the living room. Madelynn crossed her arms, frowning.

"They didn't notice," she accused.

Her mother smiled softly, pushing a strand of hair out of her face. "You should finish packing soon, honey."

It was the one thing she'd been dreading.

* * *

Her room felt empty.

The furniture still remained, but there was a sense of loneliness that accompanied it now. It was still obvious to anyone who walked into her room that no one would be accompanying it for a while. No matter what she did to her room, it was still a depressing sight.

Which irritated her to no end.

She'd only packed a few pairs of clothes and a light sweater. If one were to peer into her closet or drawers, they wouldn't see any difference. So why did it feel so empty?

"Hey, kiddo!"

Hearing Lavi's voice snapped her out of her thoughts, making her look towards the doorway where he stood. "Oh, hey."

"I know that look from anywhere," he commented, seating himself beside her. "Why the frown?"

"It won't go away," she mumbled, not really wanting to tell him. Knowing her luck, she'd probably just sound silly.

"What won't go away?"

"The empty feeling."

"It's hard to give any unoccupied room a feeling. Why would it bother you, though?"

"Because." She let out a long sigh. "I'm the only one Mom has. Ever since my aunt moved out, it's just been her and me. When I leave, I don't want her to feel so lonely."

"It seems lonely because you're trying to remove yourself from the picture."

"What?"

"Nothing in this room is different from what your mother has seen before. It's exactly why she closed the door in the first place."

"I don't know what to do, though..."

Lavi grinned. "You're your mother's whole world, so you need to do something so it seems you're still here with her. You need to change your room so she can comfortably sit in here and feel as though you're sitting next to her." He thought deeply for a moment. "What does she like the most about you?"

"My school work." An idea suddenly struck her and she leaped off her bed, making her way to her mother's room quietly. She returned a few moments later with a large box full of her elementary school work. Pulling out a container of thumb tacks, she began to pick out her school work from the box and attach them to her wall. After gaining an understanding of what she was doing, Lavi joined in and soon enough her walls were covered entirely. The work ranged from artwork to her first sentences, paragraphs, anything you could name.

"Better already," Lavi commented with an approving nod.

"I'll leave the rest of my school work in here," she mused.

It'd taken a lot of effort on her part, but she'd finally managed to rid her room of the emptiness that'd been irking her before. Satisfied now that she was certain her mother wouldn't feel as lonely, she grinned, accepting Lavi's high five. Grabbing her backpack, she turned, only to blink as Lavi shoved a stack full of sheet music into her hands.

"You need something to do in your free time," he told her before stepping out of the room. After a moment, she shrugged, sticking the music in a folder and tucking it away in her backpack.

"I doubt it takes two hours to pack, Lavi." Allen's voice suddenly reached her ears, and she turned towards the entrance of her room just as he froze in the doorway. "Lavi... what did you do to Mattie's room?"

"Shh," she told him, raising a finger to her lips. "It's a surprise for Mom. Lavi helped me put it together so she wouldn't feel lonely."

"That's nice..." Allen added after a moment, "and completely not like him."

"Hey!" Lavi hissed, "I'm here, you know!"

"Come on," she said, dragging them out of her room and towards the stairs. "I don't want Mom to find out what I did until after I leave."

When they returned downstairs, she saw that Allen had already connected a gate to Headquarters, meaning it was time to leave. She stepped before her mother, offering a smile.

"Stay safe," her mother told her.

She nodded, biting back tears. "Mom?"

"Yes, honey?"

"Promise when I leave you won't cry?"

"I'm going to be just fine," the older woman replied, pulling her into a hug. "You just worry about yourself, alright?"

"Okay, but you'll get a roommate to keep yourself company, right?"

"If it helps you sleep at night then I will." Her mother bent down to her level. "Make sure you brush your teeth twice a day."

"I know that, Mom."

"And get plenty to eat. And try to eat something other than fish all the time, please."

She smiled. "If it helps you sleep at night, Mom."

"And _behave_." Her eyes narrowed. "And listen to Allen. We all want you back in one piece."

Allen straightened. "I'll protect her, Miss Scott!"

"And one more thing."

Madelynn groaned. "_Mom_..."

Her mother smiled, pulling her into a bone-crushing hug. "I love you."

She smiled, returning her mother's hug. "I love you too."

Once they finally released each other, Komui laid a hand on her shoulder. "Are you ready?" he asked her, earning a nod. The group then proceeded towards the gate awaiting them. When she was the last one, she turned to face her mother again. Both exchanged looks for a moment before her mother nodded, smiling at her.

"See you soon," she whispered turning back to find Allen leaning partway out of the gate, extending a hand out towards her. She took a deep breath before she allowed him to pull her through the gate into the Fourteenth's room. Once inside, she watched the gate fade away as Allen disconnected it.

She missed her mother already, but knew it was for the best. For everyone.

"Are you okay?" Lenalee asked her. She smiled, nodding.

"I just wanted to make sure that no connection remained between both worlds."

She wouldn't allow the Earl to find a passage to the other world. The Earl wouldn't bring destruction upon her homeland.

At least, not on her watch.


	28. Chapter 28

**_Author's Note_ -** Hello, everyone! I apologize once again for such a late update. It was not my intention to go two whole months without a single update, but due to some events that came up in school, I was left with less time to write than usual. I thank you all for your continued patience, though, and will do my best to update much quicker next time.

Thank you to everyone who added _Living Animation_ to their favorites and/or alert lists. Also, thank you to my silent readers and **Nobody**, whose anonymous review I was unable to respond to personally.

**Disclaimer** - I do not own _D. Gray-Man_. The original plot and its characters belong to their respectful owner, Katsura Hoshino.

* * *

"Do my math for me."

"No."

"_Please_?"

"It's twenty problems."

"So?"

She paused momentarily, her pencil frozen on her paper. Truth be told, it was far too early in the morning for her to be telling Timothy to do his own work. It was seven in the morning, and she hadn't even been up for twenty minutes yet. Emilia had paid neither of them any sympathy for dragging them out of bed at such an unholy hour, instead handing them both a sheet of paper covered in math problems and ordering them to get it done.

"So do your _own_ work," she replied, looking down at her paper once more. It didn't help that Emilia was counting it as a test and Timothy was viewing her as an escape from his own work. "I have thirty math problems, and they're not basic math."

"Division's hard, though," he whined, crossing his arms and frowning. "I don't get it and Emilia won't help me."

"That would be the point of a test," she deadpanned. Upon noticing the boy's dejected look, however, she let out a long sigh, pulling his paper closer to her. "When you divide, you're just splitting the number evenly."

Timothy stared at her blankly for a moment before huffing and looking away. "You're even more confusing," he muttered darkly.

"Here, look at the first problem. You're going to divide six by three. Imagine it as though you are splitting six cookies between three friends. If you have six cookies and want to give each of your friends an equal amount, how many will each get?"

"What does cookies and friends have to do with this?"

"Just answer the question," she replied patiently.

He looked at her suspiciously. "Wait, none of those friends are Allen, are they? If so, I'm going to need more cookies."

She snickered. "No, Allen's not one of them." The boy had been entirely serious, making his remark all the more humorous.

Timothy finally complied, counting on his fingers as he thought intently. After a moment, he glanced back up at her, responding with uncertainty, "...Two?"

"Exactly." She smiled, pushing the paper back. "See? It's not that hard."

"So nine divided by three is three?"

"Yep."

It'd been almost three weeks since she'd returned from her trip to Enumclaw and became Emilia's second student, and since then she and Timothy had grown closer. Much like her former classmates, Timothy wasn't very appreciative of his education, but it didn't bother her. Like any other ordinary child, he preferred to do things that were more fun as opposed to their teacher's grueling school work. Despite his lack of cooperation, the child was exceptionally bright. He picked up on concepts quickly when he tried, and often gained a second opinion of his lessons after coming to understand them fully.

In a way, she'd come to think of the boy as a brother. Having always been an only child, she happily accepted this fact, although she would never admit it to the boy. Timothy was adamant in her looking up to him as opposed to the other way around; she assumed it was because he'd been recruited first and had a higher synchronization with his Innocence. Whatever the reason might be, she was certain it'd hurt his dignity were she to ever tell him such things.

"Thanks," he mumbled, obviously not very thrilled with the task set before him.

"The sooner you start, the quicker it'll get done," she responded with a smile before returning to her own work. Eventually, she heard the soft scratching of Timothy's pencil against his paper and she allowed herself to focus intently on the math problems in front of her.

Across the room, the front door creaked, signaling that someone was entering the library. She paid the newcomer no attention, however, instead letting out a sigh as she grabbed another piece of scratch paper.

Man, she sure missed calculators.

"Mattie!"

Jolting in surprise at the sudden exclamation, her head snapped in the direction the voice had come from. Not many of the Order's inhabitants were up this early, so she hadn't been expecting anyone arrive until long after she was finished with her test. Her friends were no exception, save for a certain red-haired individual who, much like her, was unfortunate enough to be dragged out of bed most days at the crack of dawn.

And boy he was going to wish he hadn't been procrastinating with his studies. She may have opened up to others more since returning from Enumclaw, but that didn't mean calling 'Mattie' was no longer forbidden.

Because by all means it still was.

Eyes narrowing, she was about to snap at him when she remembered she still had to finish her test. "Can't talk right now," she muttered, hastily retrieving her pencil that she'd dropped earlier.

Lavi blinked, obviously having not expected such a response from her. "Are you feeling well?" he asked, seating himself in the vacant chair next to her. She merely ignored him. "Mattie..." he sang, attempting to grasp her attention once more.

"Not now, Lavi."

"Are you _sure_ you're okay? Normally you're snapping at me like an angered snapping turtle by now."

"Positive," she replied, although she hadn't really been listening.

"See? This is what happens when you have a diet that consists of strictly fish. You don't even think straight anymore." She ignored him. "Mattie? Hello? Yoo-hoo..."

"Busy right now."

"Now, what's occupying your time so much that you can't even say 'hello' to a friend?"

"A test."

The boy blinked. "You're taking a test?"

"Yes, and I need you to be quiet now so that I can finish before Miss Emilia-"

She had no chance to finish before Emilia appeared seemingly out of thin air. "Time's up!" she announced cheerfully. Lavi seemed to understand suddenly what was happening, as he immediately paled.

"Oops..."

She merely glared at him.

After being dismissed by her mentor, she turned sharply and stalked out of the library, Lavi on her heels. Furious with the red-head, she refused to speak with him, instead crossing her arms across her chest as she headed to the mess hall for breakfast. The entire way she sulked, ignoring the boy no matter how many times he attempted to speak with her.

"Come on, Mattie," Lavi whined several minutes later when they arrived at the cafeteria. Madelynn continued to ignore him, however, as they stood in line. "You can't give me the silent treatment forever."

Sadly, his complaint fell on deaf ears as she stepped up to the window. "Good morning, Jerry," she said, smiling warmly at the man.

"Good morning!" Jerry replied as he leaned out of the window, frying pan in hand. "What would you like today, sweetie?"

Smiling, she replied, "Eggs, toast, pancakes, waffles, yogurt, bananas, sausage, and orange juice please."

"Ahh, I see you and Allen are still at it, huh?"

She beamed, nodding energetically. Several days ago Allen had made the mistake of telling her that she wouldn't be able to go a whole week without eating fish. The whole ordeal had ended with the both of them accepting the challenge of going a whole week without their favorite food.

Once her food was prepared, she carried her trays to a vacant table in the back, ignoring Lavi's protests. Thankfully, she was getting the hang of balancing all of her dishes so that they didn't topple. Allen was no longer constantly at her side to provide guidance, now that she was a much more experienced Exorcist. Since returning from Enumclaw, she'd only seen the Exorcist twice for brief moments.

It didn't bother her much - after all, it allowed her to grow more independent as an Exorcist - but she couldn't help but admit that she missed his company. He was a close friend, after all.

Not long after she started her meal, Lavi appeared, claiming the seat across from her. "Thanks for waiting for me," he muttered sarcastically, pretending to sulk as he chewed on a piece of bacon.

"I wasn't waiting."

"Which I don't understand. What'd I ever do to deserve such treatment? It was just a test."

She glared at him. "It was _not_ just a test. It was a _graded test_. Every point counts. My future might as well _rely_ on that test."

"Are you sure you're not taking it too seriously? It's just one test; you were almost finished, anyway. I've failed _tons_ of Gramp's tests and I'm _still_ his successor."

Letting out a long sigh, she raked a hand through her hair. She'd probably gone too far - she did have a tendency to worry too much over tests given her mother's strict views of school - but wasn't planning on apologizing anytime soon. Perhaps it'd get through the red-head's thick skull that it wasn't a good idea to torment her when she was attending her lessons.

"It's not that way back at home," she responded after a moment. "Everything is competition. If you want a good job, you have to go to a good school. If you want to go to a good school, you have to do well in high school."

"I see," the man replied slowly as he digested this new information. "Alright, I get it. Don't distract Mattie."

"Are you _ever_ going to stop calling me that?"

"Calling you what?"

"Mattie."

"Oh, that." He grinned at her. "Not a chance, Mattie."

She narrowed her eyes, but rather than yelling at him simply replied, "whatever you say, _Rabbit_."

The boy choked on the mouthful of eggs he was swallowing, eyes the size of plates. "Did you just-?"

"What's wrong?" she innocently replied, though a sly smile was crossing her features. "Cat got your tongue?"

"So, are you about done?" Lavi asked, obviously eager to change the subject. "Komui wants us to report to his office right away."

She blinked, but nevertheless followed suit, collecting her dishes and trailing after him towards the front counter. "How come? Are we going on a mission?"

"Yep."

Her mood suddenly lightened. "Really?"

"You sure seem excited."

"I haven't had a mission since we returned from Enumclaw."

Lavi raised an eye brow at her. "Seriously? I would've assumed someone had already begged for you to tag along with them by now."

She beamed. "I've been training, though. And I haven't even fainted from lack of energy yet."

Komui's office wasn't far from where the mess hall was located, so their commute wasn't very long. As they arrived, she immediately noticed Allen and Link, but was also somewhat surprised to see Kanda present as well. While she hadn't completely forgotten about the irritable swordsman, she had only met him a couple of times when she'd first joined the Order, all of which being unpleasant.

Ignoring the eyes that were now on her and Lavi, she closed the door, making her way over to where the other Exorcists were waiting in the room. Allen, Link, and Kanda had already claimed the couch that was kept in the cluttered office, so she joined Lavi, who was standing behind the couch.

"Ahh, you found Madelynn," Komui finally spoke, pulling a stack of papers from seemingly out of nowhere. "Splendid. Now we can get started."

Timcanpy had relocated to her head upon her arrival, where he perched, wings drooping so that it appeared as though she had yellow dog-like ears. Everyone waited patiently for the man to begin.

"A lake located up in the mountains of Russia has been reported to have been acting strangely lately. According to those who live nearby and our Finders who have investigated, the lake has yet to freeze like its neighboring ones."

"So you want us to investigate and find out if it's tied to Innocence?" Lavi replied, offering the man his trademark grin.

"That's the plan," Komui answered. "So far there have been no reports of Akuma sightings, but I'm going to send you all out now. I want the Innocence to be recovered before the Earl learns of its presence." The Supervisor paused for a moment, watching them nod. "You are to leave right away. This should only be a day-long mission."

Booklets detailing the mission were handed out to each of the Exorcists. It didn't take her long to recall that they had been used before in the beginning of _D. Gray-Man_. She'd completely forgotten about them, though. In fact, this was her first time even seeing one in person.

The surprised looks on the other Exorcist's faces were enough to tell her it'd been a while for them as well.

"Missed them that much?" Komui chuckled, taking a sip from his favorite coffee cup - the one with the rabbit on it. "Now that things are settling down and we have more time to prepare properly, you can expect to see them more often." He turned to face her. "Madelynn, these are reports that detail the mission. Now that you've settled in and are taking more missions, I'm going to treat you as a fully-fledged Exorcist."

"Really?" she inquired, leaning forward slightly. Excitement fluttered inside of her. Now that she was taking her duties seriously, those were the long-awaited words she'd been anxious to hear from the man.

Komui nodded. "Since your synchronization rate with Crown Clown is forty percent now, I'm going to have you do more missions. I want you to continue to be careful, though. Forty percent is a lot safer than thirty, but it can still be dangerous if you push yourself too much." He pushed his glasses closer to his eyes. "In addition to this, I am also going to require that you fill out a mission report for today's mission. It should be a fairly simple one, so it will give you good practice for future ones. Essentially, you will be providing the Order with a summary of what happened during the mission. These will be incredibly vital later on during your Exorcist career should you ever be separated from the group."

She nodded. "Okay."

"Well, that's it," the man chirped. "Remember to follow the directions listed, everyone. Any questions?" When no one answered after a few seconds, he nodded. "Alright, you're all dismissed."

One by one, they all filed out of the Supervisor's office. As soon as she stepped out into the hallway, she opened the booklet she was given, reading over the directions silently. Allen and Kanda were bickering, not that it was much of a surprise; she'd assumed they were going to the moment they exited the room. Lavi fell into step behind her while Link took up the rear, his usual position in groups.

"Excited to see them argue?" Lavi asked her curiously after a moment, tucking his hands behind his neck as they walked.

"Unless it's the Great Debate of Who's Cutting Who's Hair, it's probably not that entertaining," she replied, closing her book.

"You read that part, I suppose?"

"Fans at home still talk about it."

A mischievous grin appeared on the red-head's face. "You wanna see it in person?"

"If I remember correctly, they threatened to cut bystanders' hair. I've already cut my hair. I think it's someone else's turn."

"Aww, come on! It'd be fun! Please?"

"Any claws or swords come near me and I'm using you as a shield."

"Okay!" Lavi then yelled out loud enough for both bickering boys to hear, "say, Yuu, Bean Sprout, who's selling who's hair?"

"I am!" both replied before glaring at each other and adding sharply, "shut up!"

She wasn't sure which was more comical - the scene currently taking place in front of her, or the fact that Lavi had finally succeeded in calling them 'Yuu' and 'Bean Sprout' without getting threatened.

"And now," Lavi told her, "we enjoy their argument. Feel free to fuel the fire."

"I'd rather not..."

"Go ahead! It's fun."

"I'm just curious which of their hair's worth more."

"Hey, you two!" Madelynn smacked her forehead with her palm as Lavi called out, "Mattie wants to know which of your hair's worth more!"

As both boys spiraled into yet another argument, she looked at Lavi.

"I know quite a few elders back at home. Every one of them would beat them with a cane if they ever found out they called them 'old geezers'."

"I didn't get us lost, Bakanda!"

For the umpteenth time that afternoon, Madelynn let out a long sigh. Although the Ark had saved them having to take a train - after that disastrous mission in which she'd encountered Tyki, she'd decided she wasn't very fond of them - the gate had only gotten them so far. Thankfully, Allen had visited a village that was only a couple of hours away from the mountain range. The lake they'd been dispatched to go investigate was located deep within the mountain range, but it was certainly better than nothing.

Now it was just up to the five of them to make it up the rest of the way.

The Altay Mountains were a rugged terrain. At least a foot of snow was on the ground - in some areas more - and snow was still falling steadily. In the present weather, it was difficult to follow the map because the pathways were covered with snow. The Exorcists did their best, using their feet and hands to dig through the snow to find the pathway when the time called for it, but even that method proved to be futile when it eventually ended. Now they were just making certain that they didn't get themselves stranded out in the mountains.

Wedging her foot deep into the snow that covered the ledge she was currently occupying, once she was certain that it would not slide, she reached for another rock that was just above her head. Grasping it in her gloved hands firmly, after she tested it to make sure it would not dislodge from the rocky wall and deemed it safe, she heaved herself up. As soon as she did so, Allen - who was trailing closely behind to catch her should she fall - proceeded to claim the spot she'd vacated.

"Are you doing alright, Mattie?" Allen called, his voice muffled by the wind.

"Yeah," she called back, turning her head briefly to give him a reassuring smile.

That is, until she felt the rock she was currently holding onto give away.

Eyes widening, her head snapped back to look at the ledge she'd once been on. It was much too small to accommodate more than one person. Now that Allen was occupying it, she was left with no escape route. Frantically, she looked up, hoping to find something to grasp onto with Crown Belt.

Fate seemed to have another plan in mind, however, as right at that moment the rock came loose. She gave a startled yelp as gravity grabbed hold of her, but reacted quickly, invoking her Innocence and wrapping Crown Belt securely around a tree that was on the ledge just above her. Letting out a sigh of relief, she glanced down, reddening from embarrassment as her eyes met Allen's wide ones.

"Sorry," she stuttered, rubbing her head sheepishly.

The boy merely shook his head at her misfortune. "Classic Mattie," he muttered, ignoring the look of warning she gave him. "Are you okay?"

She nodded, a little shaky though she did her best to conceal it. "Yeah."

"Can you reach the ledge?"

Glancing up, she studied the ledge that was now barely out of reach. "I think so," she replied. Grasping onto the cloth that was currently securing her, she firmly planted her feet onto the rocky wall. She'd never rock climbed before, but it really wouldn't have mattered if she did. Crown Belt would've prevented her from doing it properly, anyway.

Once certain that her feet were planted on the wall, she gripped onto Crown Belt tightly, pulling herself up. After watching her repeat this process several times, Allen seemed to gain an understanding of what she was doing and followed suit. Eventually, both of them managed to make it up onto the next ledge, which was thankfully the last on the mountain. As Allen helped the remaining members of their group make their way up using Crown Belt, Timcanpy nested in her hair.

It didn't take long for the others to up all the way, and within minutes they were heading towards the log where she was seated, carefully planning the rest of their route. Upon hearing the snow crunch, she glanced up, answering Lavi's trademark grin with a smile of her own. It fell, however, as she noticed that Allen and Kanda were both frowning.

Which meant that they were arguing. _Again_.

"If you haven't gotten us lost, then where's the lake, Bean Sprout?" Kanda challenged as he sneered at the white-haired boy.

"It's _Allen_, BaKanda. Have you forgotten that already? Come on, say it with me now. _Allen_." There was a slight pause before the boy snapped, "and we're not there yet!"

"Don't you two think you're a little too old for bickering like this?" Link said. It was evident in his tone that his patience was running dry.

"Shut up."

Kanda then moved forward again, and she jumped to the side to prevent him from colliding with her. She offered a smile towards Allen, but he merely walked passed her without as much as a glance, muttering under his breath angrily. Letting out another sigh - this time more frustrated - she stuffed her hands into her pockets, trailing after everyone else.

As Kanda and Allen engaged in yet _another_ heated argument, Lavi slowed his pace until she caught up. "Don't let it bother you." He grinned. "Both of them just went to bed too late last night," he teased.

"Shut up!"

"Now, now, let's just try to get along!"

Madelynn jumped as Kanda turned sharply, unsheathing Mugen in the blink of an eye and pointing it threateningly at the Bookman. "I'm not getting along with _anyone_, Rabbit. Now shut your mouth and let me have some peace and quiet."

"The only one preventing us from having peace and quiet is _you_," Allen casually cut in.

"What was that, Bean Sprout?" Mugen was now pointing right at the white-haired Exorcist.

"Hearing problems too? Hitting old age early, I see."

"Picking a fight?"

An evil grin crossed the boy's face. "I don't fight girls."

She merely offered a blink as a brawl between the two broke out. "May I see the map?" she asked, turning to face Lavi. Someone might as well save all their hides before they got even more lost.

"I don't have the map," Lavi told her just as she heard the sound of something tearing. For a moment, there was a tense silence between them as they stared at each other wide-eyed.

_Don't tell me..._

Spinning quickly on her heels to face the two quarreling boys, she stared in disbelief at the shredded remains of their map.

Their _only_ map.

"Allen," she said when she finally recovered from shock, "_please_ tell me that wasn't our map."

The look on his face wasn't denying it, though. The map was completely beyond repair at this point, looking as though it'd just been put through a shredder. Anger bubbled inside of her, but she forced herself to stay composed. Both of them were agitated enough already. Showing her frustration would only add fuel to the fire.

Slowly letting out a deep breath, she turned to face Link. The man was currently rubbing his temples while muttering something under his breath. She had no clue what it was, but judging by the fact that he was obviously irritated, she decided that she didn't really want to know.

A moment passed, and it seemed that no one was going to break the silence anytime soon. The tension in the air was thick, and as she took note of the smoke pouring out of Allen and Kanda's ears, she quickly determined that this was an understatement. Not even the fearless Lavi, who was never phased by tension, was speaking.

And that was a first.

"The lake's this way," she said quietly, turning on her heels and continuing their journey. "I saw it a while ago when we were climbing." When none of the men moved right away, she added, "keep standing there and _you're_ finding the Innocence in the dark."

Reminding them of how late it was seemed to snap them out of their state of vexation. Allen seemed to be doing his best to make the most of the rest of their afternoon, opting to travel in the front with her. Thankfully, Kanda chose to keep a distance from the boy, walking in the back beside Lavi instead. The silence was still uncomfortable, but she eventually grew used to it, focusing her efforts on locating the lake.

Finally, after another couple of hours of endless walking, she caught sight of their destination in the distance. Lavi was so excited to hear the news that he rushed forward so he could see it with his own yes, but promptly tripped in the snow. Her eyes widened as she realized he was heading her way, but was given no time to react before he roughly collided into her. The force knocked her backwards, which in turn resulted in her letting out a shriek as she tumbled down the mountain along with him.

When she finally came to a stop, she was buried deep in the snow. Lavi seemed to have faired much better than her, as he'd managed to get up with only some snow in his hair and on his uniform. She, on the other hand, had landed right in a deep ditch of snow that was proving difficult to escape.

"It's not funny, Lavi," she growled out as the boy burst into a fit of laughter.

"Sorry, Mattie," Lavi managed to choke out, face red from laughing so hard. "It's just so funny!" She merely gave him a dull look as the others rushed down the mountain.

Kanda reached her first and grabbed hold of her arm, dragging her out of the snow. "Thanks," she stuttered through chattering teeth, brushing the excess snow off of her hair, face, and jacket. When she turned to face the lake, her eyes immediately fell upon Lavi, who was rubbing the back of his head and laughing nervously, narrowing her eyes. "And you say that _I'm_ the klutzy one."

"That was different," Lavi defended. "You tripped over a tree root when it was _clearly_ laid out in front of you."

"And you tripped over snow. That might as well count as tripping over flat surfaces."

"Wait," Allen chimed in, staring at her in surprise, "you tripped over a _tree root_?"

"She even hurt herself!" Lavi added.

"For your information," she replied in all seriousness, "I have done a heck of a lot worse. I have been hit by locker doors and by volley balls. I have had a cello whack me aside the head and have fallen off of a piano bench. I have tripped in holes and have run into glass doors." When she noticed Allen and Lavi raising eye brows at her, she huffed, turning away.

"She really is the klutzy one..." Lavi muttered. "Think she surpasses Miranda?"

"She certainly rivals her," Link spoke up. It surprised her a bit to hear him speak so casually; normally he kept himself out of their conversations unless it revolved around their assignment.

"Che. Just means she wouldn't last a mission by herself."

"That's what you said about me on our first mission," Allen reminded him. "In case your eye sight is just as bad as your memory, I'm still here."

As the group grew silent once more, she focused her attention on the lake. The surrounding area seemed peaceful enough; there weren't any signs of any unusual occurrences happening. Even the water was tranquil - almost _too_ tranquil. Every single lake they'd passed on their journey up the mountain had been completely frozen over, so by all means this one should have been too.

But it wasn't.

Upon peering closer at the water, however, she blinked. The water was _glowing_.

Cautiously, she approached the bank of the lake, squatting down so that she could study the water intently. There were patches of different colors, and as she looked more closely she could see that the lake was that way. She squinted her eyes, trying to make sense of it all. For reasons unknown, it looked very familiar to her.

"What'cha lookin' at?" Allen asked, taking a spot beside her, the black jacket the Black Order had issued them all wrinkling as he squatted down as well. She'd seen him wear it before his journey to the new Headquarters to set up a gate for the others.

And, surprisingly enough, they were a lot warmer than they looked.

Suddenly, a fish came to the surface. It was brief, but quick enough to identify it. She jumped up as excitement filled her. "GloFish!" It took her a moment of pondering over why everyone was staring at her so blankly for her to realize just how odd her outburst had sounded. "Err, sorry... I really like GloFish."

"Glow _what_?" Allen was first to speak.

"GloFish," she repeated, this time much more calmly.

"GloFish."

"Yes, Allen. GloFish."

"_GloFish_?"

"It's not that hard to digest. _GloFish_." She said slowly.

"What's a GloFish?"

"A fish that has a glowish tint to it," she answered, standing back up. "They're so cute, too!"

"Based on your behavior around other fish, it would be safe to assume you find all fish cute," Link told her.

"Because they are! I don't get why people say fish are so boring. Fish are cool!"

The sound of splashing pulled her attention back to the lake. She blinked as she saw Allen leaning over the water, attempting to reach in and grab a fish with his hands. Suddenly, he reached in and grabbed one, pulling it from the water. Her mouth fell, but just as she was about to scream for him to stop suffocating the poor fish, something caught her eye.

Innocence.

Lavi and Kanda noticed too. There was no doubt the object in the fish's mouth was Innocence.

"Score!" Lavi cheered.

"Oi, Bean Sprout," Kanda said impatiently, "hurry up and grab the Innocence."

"Shut up, BaKanda!" Allen yelled, but let out a yelp as the fish's teeth sank into his skin, hanging limply like it would from a fish hook. The boy immediately sprung up onto his feet, trying to shake it off.

"No, Allen!" she cried, trying to rush over to catch the fish before it escaped. Before she could grab it, however, the fish let go, dropping back into the pond and swimming away.

"Allen!" Lavi whined. "You let it get away!"

"Che." Kanda remarked, irritated. "That's what we get for relying on the Bean Sprout."

"It's _Allen_!"

As the white-haired boy sulked, she gently took the hand the fish had bitten, pulling it away from his side so she could examine it. The fish had left teeth marks on the palm of his hand, but it wasn't drawing much blood. "Are you alright, Allen?" she asked him after a few moments.

The boy nodded, frowning. "Sorry," he mumbled.

"It's not your fault," she replied. "We'll catch it next time." She gave him an assuring smile before turning to face Lavi and Kanda. "Go get a boat."

Lavi blinked. "A boat? From where?"

"That shop over there," she said, pointing to a small shop that was positioned a little ways away. "You want to get the Innocence, don't you? Then go get a boat and some fishing poles, please."

Mugen was rather shiny when it was pointed at you so menacingly, she soon learned.

"Are you _ordering me_, newbie?"

"I said 'please'," she said, standing her ground. She was getting rather tired of hearing the swordsman and Allen bicker, and she was beginning to wonder if Link would put duct tape to the test if it existed here. "So it's not really an order."

Kanda glared at her for a second longer before sheathing his Innocence once again and turning towards the shop, Lavi scrambling to catch up with him. "Don't forget the fishing poles!" she called out, earning a grin from the red-head. Once she was certain that they were capable of retrieving the supplies, she turned back to face Allen and Link. "Driving me to go back to Enumclaw and buy some duct tape," she muttered under her breath, making her way back to the lake's bank and studying the GloFish carefully for any signs of the Innocence.

"Err..." Allen's voice pulled her attention away from the fish and onto her companion instead. Staring at her quizzically, he inquired, "what are you talking about, exactly?"

She thought for a moment, choosing her words carefully. "You and Kanda are making it very tempting to go and get some duct tape," she paraphrased.

"Duct tape?"

"It's a substance a little thicker than paper, but very sticky on one side so it can attach to things."

"Okay... but how do you _drive_ it?"

"It's just a figure of speech. You're just temping me. It's not rocket science." He opened his mouth, and she quickly added, "that's a _long_ explanation."

"If you don't mind my asking, what exactly would you do with this duct tape you speak of?" Link asked her suspiciously, although she could've sworn that she'd heard a hint of amusement in his tone.

"The next time he and Kanda argue, we could take a piece and tape their mouth shut so they can't speak."

"What?"

Allen's outburst only made her smile widen. "I've always wanted to try it and see if it works..."

"C'mon, Mattie! You can't be serious!"

No one appeared to be on the boy's side today, however, as Link commented, "now, that I would like to see."

"_Link_!"

She giggled, but before anyone could respond, their conversation was interrupted by the sound of snow crunching. Lavi and Kanda had returned, the swordsman holding a fishing pole while the other pushed the boat through the snow.

It was a comical sight, really.

Kanda stopped when he was mere centimeters away from her, dropping the pole onto the snow. "Happy now?" he grumbled, not even waiting for an answer before turning and stalking off.

"Kanda!" she called out, soon regretting it as the man stopped abruptly.

"What?" His voice was barely audible, but it was obvious by his tone that he was irritated.

"Thank you," she replied sweetly, offering him a smile.

Once the boat was in the water, everyone quickly piled in. The boat was small, making it cramped, but they still managed. As the group grew silent, she occupied herself by staring at the fish, hoping to catch sight of the Innocence. It quickly proved to be nearly impossible, however. Not only where there a large amount of fish, but many of them were glowing the same shade of green as the Innocence.

The others must've noticed too, as she heard several groans.

Leaning on the edge of the boat, she gazed at the water. It'd been a while since she'd last gone fishing. When she was younger, her grandparents had taken her fishing frequently until they moved to the Oregon coast.

"Here, fishie, fishie, fishie..." she murmured.

The fish didn't come. Not that she really expected it to, though.

"Has it really been so long since you last went fishing?" Allen asked her. She vaguely recalled telling him of her last fishing trip with her grandparents a couple of years ago.

Upon hearing the boy speak, Lavi's head snapped up. "You fish?" he asked her, hopeful.

She nodded, but was caught off guard as he handed her his fishing pole. Blinking at him, she cocked her head to the side. "Why are you giving me your fishing pole?"

There was a long silence, and her face fell when he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"That's our only pole."


	29. Chapter 29

**_Author's Note_** - As of now, I am officially on summer break. These next few months will be busy for me, however, so I cannot promise quicker updates.

This is the last chapter of the GloFish arc. As always, I hope you all enjoy. Thank you for your continued support, everyone!

**Disclaimer** - I do not own _D. Gray-Man_. Its original plot and characters belong to their respective owner, Katsura Hoshino.

* * *

For a moment, she merely stared at him in response. It was all she _could_ do. Lavi was lying to her - he _had _to be. What kind of shop rented only one fishing pole? Granted, no one in their right mind would be out fishing at this time of year when by all means the water should be frozen, but during spring and summer there had to be fishermen.

As she continued to stare at him, it became obvious Lavi wasn't lying. You couldn't always trust the boy, but she knew him well enough to know that he wouldn't have been able to go this long without grinning unintentionally. Taking his statement as genuine, she let out a long sigh, rubbing her temples.

When she was younger, her grandparents used to take her fishing all of the time, so she'd seen some really small shops. Her grandparents were also always willing to tell her stories of their own fishing trips when they were children. In short, she _had_ heard of shops so small its customers could only imagine how they fit all the boats and fishing supplies. Never in her life, however, had she heard of a shop being so small that it only had one fishing pole to offer.

Had _she_ not been faced with this dilemma as well, she would've laughed.

Sparing the shop another glance, she gave a shrug. It _was_ rather small...

"Was this the only boat they had too?" she sarcastically muttered, reaching for some bait. Lavi smiled nervously.

"Actually, they had quite a few of them."

Now that made her stop.

"And one fishing pole?"

The red-head nodded.

"That's..." she struggled for words, "interesting."

With only one fishing pole, it was almost next to impossible for them to search for the Innocence very easily. The Innocence's glow was the same shade as the green GloFish, so there was no way to even pinpoint its exact location. As she attached the bait to the pole, they spent a moment discussing their next course of action. Out of the group, she was the most experienced with fishing, so it was decided that she would use the fishing pole while everyone else used their bare hands.

Quickly, their tactic proved to be difficult. The fish were too fast for anyone to catch, and the majority of those they'd managed to grab hold of easily slipped from their grasp. Madelynn was the most successful one by far, but her results weren't any better. She was catching very few green fish.

The area soon grew silent as they focused intently on their work. One by one, the fish were pulled out and, if green, had their mouths checked for the Innocence before being immediately tossed back into the water. Several hours of intense labor brought them no results. Kanda was getting more agitated by the second, her and Allen were starving, and Lavi and Link were growing tired.

Allen let out another yelp as a fish bit into his finger. She'd lost count of how many times he'd been bit, but was beginning to wonder how such small teeth could get through expensive leather.

Apparently they could, though.

She was beginning to pity the boy, however, and stood up on her feet, carefully moving to the other side of the boat and handing him her fishing pole. "Here," she told him, "we'll trade."

"No, no, it's okay." Allen responded, waving his hands. "You're the most experienced at fishing out of all of us, Mattie."

She glared. "_Madelynn_." When he smiled innocently in response, she returned it, only hers was far more mischievous. "Good luck, Beanie!" she chirped, dropping the fishing pole into his hands. His eyes widened in surprise, and he opened his mouth to speak when the abrupt splashing of water reached her ears and she pun around, fearful that someone had fallen into the water.

Instead, however, she was met with the sight of Kanda glaring down at the water, Mugen having been stabbed right into it. Lavi had scrambled away from the enraged swordsman, and currently looked as though his eye balls were going to fall right out of their sockets at any moment.

"Yuu!" he stuttered. "Why the sudden cold shoulder?"

"Shut up, Rabbit!" Kanda snapped before continuing to stab at the water, the GloFish scattering to avoid the attack. She let out a shriek, to which Allen and Lavi sweat dropped at.

"What are you doing?" she cried. "You can't just stab every fish until we find the Innocence!"

"Che. Watch me, Newbie."

"Kanda," Lavi nervously spoke, "Mattie really likes fish..."

"I don't care."

"Well, you _should_ care!" She crossed her arms. "At the rate you're going, you're going to disrupt their ecosystem and then there won't be anymore GloFish! Have you any idea the effort scientists went through to make them?"

In response, all she got were stares. Even Kanda had paused with Mugen poised above the water, not seeming to know what to think of her lecture. Just when she was going to question them, Allen broke the silence.

"Mattie..." he asked her, obviously puzzled, "I don't know how to say this kindly but-"

"What on Earth are you talking about?" Lavi finished for him, cutting straight to the point.

As it finally dawned on her, she let out a long sigh. "Sometimes, it really stinks to be in this world," she muttered to herself. The universe she was calling 'home' for the present time was similar enough to be her home universe, but drastically different at the same time. One of the biggest problems she encountered were the gaps in everyone's knowledge. To make her story more appealing to her teenage audience, Katsura Hoshino had incorporated quite a few things the twenty-first century had, but unfortunately there still remained gaps between her peers' knowledge and her own.

And now that she was making an effort to open up more and knock down the walls she'd once tried to barricade herself in, she was running into this problem a lot more.

"GloFish are genetically modified zebrafish." She explained, "in other words, scientists altered the genetic code of some zebrafish to create a new species and breed them." Once more, her enthusiasm for fish returned, and she leaned over the edge of the boat, watching the fish with a large grin on her face. "I never dreamed of seeing on in person, though!"

Allen set the fishing pole down, kneeling down beside her as he looked at the GloFish along with her. "I don't get how you can like fish so much," he commented. "What's so interesting about them? All they do is swim and bite."

She shrugged. "I don't know. Mother says she took me to the pet store one time and the moment I saw the fish my eye balls were glued to the tanks."

"That sounds painful..."

She let out a long laugh. "Not _literally_, silly. It's just a figure of speech for saying I was hooked."

Suddenly, Lavi began to laugh hysterically. "Get it, Allen?" He exclaimed through fits of laughter, "she said 'hook'! Get it? Fishing pole... hooking a fish..."

"Lavi, that's not funny at all," Allen deadpanned, clearly not amused.

She giggled. "Puns. Gotta love 'em."

Lavi cocked his head to the side. "Is that what you call them?"

"Yep. I love puns."

Allen immediately scowled. "I don't like puns."

"You don't? You must not have heard any good ones." She smiled. "Lucky for you, I know a bunch."

"Oh, I've heard plenty. I just don't like them."

"Just like Maria." An idea came to mind, and she tipped her head to the side, her smile turning into a grin. "Will you throw fish sticks at me too?"

"No."

She shrugged, completely indifferent. "Say, Allen..." she paused for a moment just to annoy him further, "why did the turkey cross the road?"

"Dunno," he quickly replied, obviously not really caring to give thought to the question.

"To prove he wasn't chicken."

"Sorry, I don't find puns very funny."

"That's okay. I'm inclined to be laid back."

Lavi snorted.

"Fish are smart because they live in schools."

"That's nice to know, Mattie."

"You know, the best way to communicate with one is to drop it a line."

Allen groaned, stuffing his face into his palm. She smiled devilishly, leaning forward towards him.

"They're also easy to weigh because they have scales."

She would've continued her torment - it served him right for always calling her 'Mattie' - but stopped when she noticed something glowing beside their boat. She stood quickly when she identified it.

"The Innocence!"

Allen bolted upwards so quickly, she felt the boat rock forward for a split second. "Where?"

She pointed to a fish not too far from where they were. "Right there. It's still in the fish's mouth."

Lavi stood, making his way over as well. "What do we do, Mattie?"

"Link, pass Allen the fishing pole," she said, not taking her eyes off of the fish. There was some shuffling, signaling that Link was listening to her instructions, before she saw Allen attaching the bait to the hook out of the corner of her eye. "Cast the fishing line between here and the fish with the Innocence. It's the green one beside those pink ones."

Allen nodded, doing as he was told. "What if another fish grabs the bait first?"

"I'm going to grab the fish by hand. Just lure it closer."

Just as she had hoped, the fish drew closer to the boat. As an effort to grab hold of it before it changed its mind and they lost track of it again, she leaned further towards the water, her hand gripping onto the edge of the boat tightly to hold her balance. Everyone else seemed to tense up, praying silently for her catch to be successful.

The fish was now just below her fingers - certainly within reach - and she smiled with relief, glad the tedious mission was finally over. However, just as she was about to grab hold of the fish, the unspeakable thing happened.

Lavi made a comment to Kanda - something about GloFish, but she didn't quite catch it. As Kanda's name slipped off of the boy's tongue, he immediately grew furious, unsheathing Mugen once again. He unleashed a long line of curses that made even Allen's face pale before Lavi yelped and jumped back, forgetting she was there. Her body was sent into a forward motion as he collided with her, making her eyes widen. She was unable to regain her balance, however, and soon afterwards fell face-first into the lake.

Not much more than a split second after she was submerged, she felt water fill her lungs. Springing upwards out of reflex, she began to cough violently as soon as she reached the surface, rubbing the water from her eyes.

Thankfully, the water was only up to her waist. She wasn't a very strong swimmer.

"Sorry, Mattie!" Lavi called out, grinning sheepishly.

"It's okay," she replied, glancing around. It appeared the fish had swam away when she'd fallen into the water. That wasn't the biggest concern for her, though. As a chill raked through her body, her teeth chattered. "I'll just use Crown Clown to keep myself warm."

Allen seemed to be thinking along the same lines, gesturing for her to return. "Here, I'll help you back into the boat."

She nodded, but after taking a step forward paused. The water wasn't even the least bit cold, and that didn't seem right considering they were in the mountains and snow was on the ground. Even when she'd first fallen into the water - now that she thought about it - it hadn't been cold.

"Allen," she instructed, "put your hand in the water."

The boy blinked in question, but nevertheless complied, pulling his hand out of the side pocket of his jacket and cautiously dipping it into the water. "That's odd," he commented, "it's really warm."

She nodded. "That's probably why it wasn't freezing over. The Innocence must be keeping the water warm." Carefully, she studied that fish. "I'll look for the Innocence. The fish couldn't have gotten very far."

"Che." Kanda said sharply, glaring at her, "just hurry up before the idiot capsizes the boat."

"Now, now, Yuu," Lavi grinned, "I wouldn't do that."

Somehow, she really could picture the boat capsizing. Letter out a long sigh - the water may have been warm, but the air certainly wasn't - she began her search, scouring the area for any signs of their target.

"Umm, Mattie?" Allen asked after a moment, "wouldn't you like the fishing pole?"

"Nope."

Lavi raised an eye brow. "How do you plan to catch the fish, then?"

"With my hands, of course."

"We've already tried that," he told her. "If you don't fail to grab them, they'll bite you."

She stared at him dully before, in one fluid motion, swiping a fish from the water and holding it up in front of them. Allen and Lavi's jaws dropped in surprise, and for a split second Kanda merely stared before looking away quickly. After determining that it didn't have the Innocence, she tossed it back into the water.

"That's why you grab them by the tail." She grinned at them before returning her attention back to the lake. "This is going to be a peace of cake."

"Dunno what you're talking about, but okay, Mattie!"

She looked up from the water, glaring at the red-head. "It's _Madelynn_."

It took a while, but eventually she managed to locate the fish again. After catching it - nearly falling into the water as she made a dive for it - she pried open its mouth, sighing with relief when she saw the familiar green glow. Allen reached inside, pulling the Innocence out before she gently lowered the fish back into the water.

Resting her arms on the railing of the boat with her head leaning on them, she peered closely at the Innocence. It was glowing a mesmerizing bright green color that seemed to pulsate in Allen's hands. She'd seen raw Innocence before - on her very first mission with Lavi - but she'd never gotten the chance to look at it, having been ambushed shortly after retrieving it.

As she was studying the object, Allen suddenly turned, and she felt her face heat up as their eyes met. Embarrassed that she'd been caught staring at the Innocence, she quickly looked away, only to blink in surprise when she felt something being placed in her hands. When she looked back, Allen was only a kneeling down next to the railing, grinning at her. It wasn't that she was puzzled by, however, but rather the fragment that now rested in her hands.

"Eh?"

She glanced at their companions, hoping to find any trace of answer in their expressions, but they were just as bewildered as she was.

"Walker, you should know by now that Innocence is not meant to be toyed with," Link lightly scolded after a moment, breaking the silence that'd fallen over them all.

"I'm not toying with it," the boy replied. "Retrieving the Innocence is only half of the task. An Exorcist must also learn to protect the Innocence while it is in their possession. Therefore, Mattie will be looking after it today."

"Are you sure that's a good idea, Allen?" Lavi reminded him, "she _is_ our most klutzy Exorcist."

She nodded in agreement. "Lavi's right," she conceded. As mesmerizing as it was, it was slightly unnerving to hold something that held so much power, yet was just as fragile as glass, if not more. When she tried to return it, though, Allen merely shook his head, offering her a reassuring smile.

"Nope, you're carrying it home today. You'll be fine, trust me."

When her protests were to no avail, she let out a long sigh. "Fine," she grumbled.

Holding the Innocence felt atypical. It was cold; not at all as warm as Crown Clown was.

And even then Crown Clown felt distant.

Her Innocence was warm, but deep within another emotion radiated from it. Underneath the warmth was a much colder demeanor; one that distrusted her. It hurt, but she'd forced herself to come to terms with it. She'd chosen this path knowing Crown Clown's motives, and had no intentions to step back now.

She couldn't.

"Mattie?"

Hearing Allen's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. Forcing a smile, she wordlessly turned and made her way back to the bank. Pulling off the jacket the covered her uniform, she shook the excess water off of it before discarding it for the present moment. She pocked the Innocence in her Exorcist jacket - the one Johnny had made for her - before folding her soaked jacket neatly. There wasn't anything that could be done for her wet pants, so she instead settled for patting as much water off of them as she could.

As her eyes fell on her left arm once again, she paused for a moment. They lingered there for a moment, before she shook her head and forced herself to push those thoughts aside.

Her thoughts were shattered abruptly as a snow ball collided with the side of her head, making her stumble forward. Out of instinct, her head whipped into the direction it'd came from. Her eyes narrowed on the red-haired Exorcist who was currently laughing so hard he was clutching his stomach.

For a moment, she only stared until she heard him gasp out her much loathed nickname. Of course, he was trying to speak but was finding it difficult between laughter, but she paid him no heed, scooping up a handful of snow and after packing it into a hard ball threw it right at the boy.

"I've already told you, it's _Madelynn_!"

Unfortunately, being the observer he was, Lavi immediately noticed the assault directed at him and quickly ducked his head, the snow ball striking Allen instead. Her eyes widened for a moment before she began sputtering apologies. The boy smirked devilishly, but before she could question it he chucked a snow ball right at her, hitting her square in the face.

For a moment, she merely stared in surprise. Her shock didn't last too long, however, and before she knew it she was scooping up snow as fast as she could. Giving him no warning, she chucked it at him, crossing her arms and grinning in triumph as she struck her target without fail.

It wasn't long before the three of them were tossing snow balls left and right. As their war raged on, Kanda stood off to the side, a sour look on his face as he crossed his arms impatiently. Link's only attempt to stop the three of them ended with him being struck by a snow ball Lavi had launched.

Finally, after several minutes, their war came to an end. The three of them were covered in snow, and she had to suppress a laugh that threatened to escape her throat as she watched Lavi furiously shake it out of his hair. Of course, because of the color the snow blended in with her and Allen's hair.

While Link scolded their white-haired companion, she bent down to pick up her jacket, which she'd dropped during their snow ball fight. When she looked back up, she was surprised to see Lavi standing a few inches from her.

"Are you okay?"

She blinked at his question. It wasn't the fact that he had noticed that surprised her - she wasn't that convincing when it came to concealing her emotions - but rather the fact that he had taken the time to approach her about it despite the fact that he was a Bookman.

Then again, now that she thought of it, he wasn't entirely distant. He had a tendency to close himself off from others, but she'd never really thought of it when she'd just been a fan of _D. Gray-Man_. Now that she was part of it, however, she couldn't help but wonder sometimes what he truly thought of them all.

But regardless of it, she still couldn't help but smile a little.

"Yeah."

Crown Clown may not have truly accepted her, but her friends had.

"What'cha standing around for, then? Come on! Link's getting permission to use the Ark so ya don't freeze out here."

And that was all that mattered.


	30. Chapter 30

**Author's Note** - Thank you to **Sammy **for their anonymous review. I would also like to thank my other reviewers and silent readers as well._  
_

**Disclaimer** - I do not own _D. Gray-Man_. The original plot and its characters belong to their respective owner, Katsura Hoshino.

* * *

_Where am I?_

Everything had been reduced to merely rubble; an act she could only assume that had occurred recently by the rising smoke. She couldn't even make sense of the sight laid out before her. What remained was far too undecipherable. There was no sign of life other than herself. All that stood before her was destruction.

She felt disoriented. Her memory was a blank slate. Where was she? Where was everyone else? What had happened?

Taking a step forward, she cried out as her foot landed on something sharp and pointy. When she looked down, biting back the moan that threatened to escape her lips, she blinked as she realized she was bare foot and wearing a night gown. She stared, puzzled. She'd never worn a night gown outside the Order, so why was now so different?

Unless if it _was_ the Order.

That last thought hit her like a ton of bricks at once. For a moment, she stopped breathing entirely, eyes wide in fear. When she was finally able to suck in enough oxygen again, she rushed forward in panic.

_No!_

It had to be a mistake. The Order couldn't have been destroyed. Everyone couldn't be dead.

Leftover debris stabbed into her feet, making her hiss in pain, but she ignored it. She tore through the area, ignoring her protesting feet, eyes darting from side to side in search for someone. _Anyone_.

This couldn't be happening.

She couldn't be alone for good. Forever.

Her throat burned - she wanted to cry. She wanted to scream. But nothing would come. She could only stare in horror.

For the first time in a long time, she felt like an empty shell. She didn't want to be left alone. The Order was the only place she could call 'home'. She wasn't from this world. Where else would she go?

Who else would she call family?

Sharply, she turned, and her eyes widened as they fell upon a tall, demolished building. Relief washed over her, but confusion and horror still remained.

This wasn't Headquarters.

This wasn't home.

But what _was_ it?

She turned another corner, still ignoring the poking and prodding in her feet by the scattered debris, but stopped abruptly. Dangling above her, though still seeming to be intact, was a traffic light. The color drained from her face, and she pressed herself up against a brick wall that was, surprisingly enough, still standing.

_This intersection..._

Images appeared in her mind's eye. Images of her walking home with her friends after school. Images of them laughing and giggling without care. Suddenly, she let out a gasp as realization struck her hard.

This wasn't their world at all.

_It's Enumclaw!_

Pushing herself away from the brick wall, she sprinted forward, tearing through the city. "Everyone!" she cried out frantically, but all she was met with was an eerie silence. This only made her increase her pace as she stormed through the city, for the moment not even caring for her lack of shoes.

Her search was futile, however. Her entire neighborhood was just as dead silent as the rest of Enumclaw, and a more thorough investigation of her own house turned up no results. There were no sign of any bodies, almost as if everyone had disappeared without a trace.

"Mom!" she cried out, her voice echoing. That was it, though. There was no response.

Anxiety knotted in her stomach as she exited the crumbled remains of what was left of her home. She bit her lip as she walked alongside the road, carefully stepping over sharp glass and other debris. As she walked, she kept her eyes peeled, on the lookout for any signs of people.

But even when she searched all the spots her friends and mother would've been, she found no sign of them. She walked the distance to her school - an activity she'd done many times before with her friends - but even that was fruitless. The school building was just as vacant as the city itself.

"Katie!" Her frown deepened when she received no response. "Kyle! Maria!"

Turning sharply on her heels, she hissed as she stepped on another shard of glass. She refused to stop, however, pulling the glass out and discarding it before hurrying to the courtyard of the school. Like everything else, however, it had also been reduced to rubble and was vacant.

Once certain that no one was present, she left the building, the door she used ripping from its hinges and falling to the ground. Feeling defeated and helpless, she pushed her back up against the wall, sliding down it until she was sitting on the ground. Grimacing, she buried her face into her hands.

What was she supposed to do now?

Call for her comrades and hope they hear her?

Somehow, all of this was far too familiar - the rubble, that is - and the fact that no one was in sight didn't help any.

For a moment, she sulked. That is, until the sound of people running caught her attention. Looking up, thrilled to hear something other than silence finally, she blinked. In the distance, heading towards her, was a small child being pulled along by an adult dressed in what looked to be a clown costume.

Now _that_ was certainly odd.

"Hurry! Hurry!"

She raised an eye brow. The adult's cheerful tone was out of place, considering the state of the town. It seemed as though the pair was completely oblivious to the destruction around them. Although she had to squint her eyes to see, a grin was plastered on both of their faces.

"Mana!" the boy whined, and she instantly recognized the pair, making her eyes widen. She stared in surprise as the boy frowned, tugging on the clown's arm.

"_Allen_?" She finally had the courage to speak. Nothing had made any sense before, and somehow it'd just gotten even more confusing.

But the boy didn't even spare her as much as a glance.

She was certain she'd seen all of this before, but as much as she tried she couldn't pinpoint its exact origins.

_"Those lights; I've seen them before."_

Realization came crashing down on her hard as she recalled Allen's words the day they'd last been in Enumclaw. None of this was real, it was just a dream. It wasn't even _her_ dream; it was Allen's.

And knowing all of this rubble was Enumclaw's remains did not help any.

"I'm not..."

Before she could fully register that Allen's younger self was speaking again, her surroundings suddenly blurred, a screeching noise echoing in the background. She struggled against it, however, desperate to hear what the boy was going to say. As much as she tried, however, she was only able to catch the last part of his sentence.

"...Just call me 'Allen', okay?"

At that moment, she was finally pulled back to reality. Her eyes flickered open cautiously, revealing her bedroom and making her relax. From beside her, her alarm clock rang loudly, and she groggily reached over to silence it.

Letting out a yawn, she slipped out of bed tiredly, for the moment setting aside all thoughts of her dream. She had a full day ahead of her and would soon be late if she didn't get ready. It was her first mission without Allen in a long while, and leaving her partners waiting would not be a great way to start. Once she was dressed in her Exorcist attire, she set forth towards her door, eager to make it to her destination in time.

Upon opening her door, she was met with a startled Allen. It would've been highly amusing had she, herself, not been equally surprised. After nearly jumping out of her skin, she greeted him with a sheepish smile.

That is, before remembering her dream.

She pushed her thoughts aside to ward off suspicion, but was certain the boy had sensed her worry. Before he could question her, though, she quickly forced a smile.

Her attempts were futile, however. She could swear the boy had a sixth sense when it came to lying. Whenever she tried to lie herself out of something or cover it up with a false smile his eyes would narrow, his gray pupils darkening just slightly. Having had this happen to her several times already, it didn't surprise her.

However, it did puzzle her.

Maybe there was nothing to be puzzled over, though. Maybe she was just a horrible liar. Maybe he just knew the act when he saw it, since he himself was guilty of doing it so many times already.

After all, it takes one to know one.

Then again, Crown Clown _did_ have a tendency to inform Allen frequently when she was lying.

A hand waved close to her face, successfully drawing her from her thoughts. The stern look on Allen's face had been replaced with one of pure irritation and, had it not been directed at her, she would've found it comical.

"Well?" he impatiently said, making her blink. Confused, she could only stare at him questionably. "Are you going to tell me what's got you so worried, or are you just going to hide in your shell like a turtle again?"

"Turtle" was another nickname she had received as of late. Lavi had come up with it on the spot after she had grumpily asked him if he could call her anything other than "Mattie". This new nickname had yet to grow popular - thank goodness - but he and Allen still called her it every once so often.

"First of all," she retorted, "I am a turtle, and as a turtle it is my natural instinct to hide. You may have no way to protect yourself, seeing as you are a plant and exist solely to be put on the dinner table, but _I_ have the ability to protect myself."

Allen's eyes widened as large as dinner plates, but before she could even apologize laughter filled her ears. Lavi had doubled over and was currently gasping for air as he continued to laugh loudly. "Way to go, Mattie! High five!"

At first, she remained frozen - still mortified that she'd said such a thing - but once she saw Allen snap out of his daze and blink, she gave a small shrug, accepting the gesture. Stepping out into the hallway and closing the door behind her, she leaned against it.

"Umm, Allen..." she tried to speak, but was cut short when Lavi grabbed her arms and tugged her away from the door enthusiastically.

"That was brilliant! See? Told ya you'd blend in with the crowd well. Soon, you'll always be calling him 'bean sprout'."

"It's Allen," said dubbed boy grumbled irritably, arms crossed. Once again, guilt struck at her, making her shift her gaze uncomfortably towards their red-haired friend.

"Lavi, aren't you supposed to be preparing for a mission?"

"Yep. I was just finding Bean Sprout and Link."

"Allen was just going to get Link. Why don't you go make sure everyone else is ready?" she suggested.

Lavi stared at her suspiciously for a moment before shrugging. "Okay, Snapping Turtle."

"Snapping Turtle?"

"It suits you as a nickname. Just like Mattie."

"It's _Madelynn_!"

"See?"

"You can make all the jokes about making turtle soup and adding bean sprouts to it, but I guarantee it will be hossenfeffer that we find on the dinner table."

Lavi physically paled, obviously getting the hint, and without another word, took off down the hall, leaving her along with Allen once more. Stepping so that she was only a foot or so away from him, she met his gaze. "I'm sorry," she told him, lying a hand comfortingly on his shoulder, "I shouldn't have said that, and I'm sorry. It was really rude of me, and I promise not to call you 'bean sprout' anymore, okay?"

Allen immediately let out a long sigh, and she bit her lip, worried she'd angered him. She hadn't seem him angry very much, but having pushed him to that state once already, she knew better than to get on his bad side. "Just forget it, okay? It's just a nickname. It's nothing serious."

"Yes it is," she persisted, pulling on his sleeve. "People mistake words for being mindless little thoughts, but they _do_ hurt. Especially after a while. I should know that."

"It was just a joke. People do it all the time." She opened her mouth to object, but he quickly added to prevent her from speaking, "what's bothering you?"

"It's not that important," she replied, offering him a smile before he could scold her. "We both have missions, anyway. I'll tell you next time, okay?"

Allen still didn't look convinced, but nevertheless nodded anyway, moving forward once again. Automatically, she followed after him, headed in the same direction.

"When do you leave?" the white-haired Exorcist asked her after a while.

"Right now."

"And you have yet to eat."

She nervously scratched the side of her head as his eyes locked with her own. "Well..."

"So you haven't, then."

Truth be told, she was far too nervous to even think about eating. It was her first mission without Allen accompanying her, which meant she was officially no longer a trainee. Not that she planned to tell anyone, of course.

Before she could even respond, though, Allen turned, stuffing a warm bag into her hands. Curious, she opened it up, blinking as she realized it was fish sticks.

"Figured you would attempt to skip out on breakfast," he stated, though it was obvious by his strict tone that he was scolding her. "Why you never eat breakfast is beyond me."

She shrugged in response. "I wasn't the first teenager in the twenty-first century to skip the most important meal of the day, and I'm certainly not going to be the last."

Allen opened his mouth to retaliate, but snapped it shut as her words finally sank through, staring at her in disbelief. "People skip meals in the twenty-first century?" She nodded, enjoying the priceless look on his face, but that soon came to an end as he deadpanned, "that's weird."

"Says _you_," she retorted, holding up the bag. "What kind of century considers fish sticks to be a breakfast item?"

He flashed her a sly smile. "You'd never waste a fish stick."

"Let me get this straight," she questioned him, "you brought me fish sticks for breakfast knowing I wouldn't have the heart to pass on them?"

"So? I remembered the tartar sauce."

"Well, if that's the case," she cheerfully reached into the bag, grabbing a fish stick and dipping it into the sauce before popping it into her mouth. "Thanks for getting me breakfast." She then noticed they had reached the Ark gate where Miranda and Marie, her partners, were patiently waiting. "Looks like this is it. Have a safe trip, alright?"

Allen nodded before stepping towards where Lavi and Lenalee were standing. "Be careful, Mattie!"

"_Madelynn_!"

She hadn't even made it to her companions yet before Lavi's voice rang in her ears, "Mattie's a klutz, Miranda! You might want to prepare yourself!"

Unfortunately, this seemed to put the poor woman into a momentary panic. "Oh, no! I must not fail!"

"No, no, it's okay. I can protect myself," Madelynn assured the woman, sending Lavi a glare as she did so.

As her group set forth onward, she gave the rest of her friends a glance, offering them all one last wave before disappearing into the Ark.

Little did she know, it would be a while before she saw them again.


	31. Chapter 31

**_Author's Note_** - I apologize for the wait. It was much longer than you all anticipated, I'm sure, but unfortunately this summer's been busier for me than usual. I do thank you all for your continued patience. To everyone who has reviewed _Living Animation _and added it to your favorite and alert lists, thank you as well. As always, I would like to thank my anonymous reviewers: **Sammy** and **OolslollypopOo**. Thank you, everyone!

* * *

Several hours passed, and during the course of that time Madelynn watched as farmland after farmland passed by. The countryside in this particular area was expansive, and she couldn't help but wonder just how much it differed from the Great Britain of her time. Was there even any similarities to the Great Britain that existed during the nineteenth century of her home world? The universe Katsura Hoshino had created was based off of their world's eighteenth century - that much she knew - but how altered was it?

Even though she was currently on a mission and by all means should have been pushing all other thoughts aside for later, she found herself unable to. No matter how much she tried focusing on other things, her train of thought always made its way back to her latest dream. Normally, nightmares were easy for her to shake off - she usually ended up forgetting them within the first hour or so of waking - but she was having no such luck this time. Every last detail seemed to linger in her memory against her will.

_Maybe it wasn't Enumclaw..._ she mused, but even that was to no avail. Rubble might have seemed impossible to distinguish, but when it was your hometown - the only home you had ever known besides a world that was as much a stranger to you as to it - there was no mistaking it. Every child memory engraved in those ruins were also embedded in her heart, making it apparent.

Biting back a sigh, she rested her head against the window of the train compartment the three of them were in. They'd taken a train from London and were now currently headed to Liverpool. Suspicions of an Innocence being present in the area were rising steadily now that the current of the water was rapidly changing. According to the mission report, several casualties had already been reported, and the Finders that had been dispatched to investigate were nowhere to be found, save for the one who'd contacted Headquarters.

"Madelynn?"

Hearing Miranda's voice effectively snapped her out of her thoughts, and she tore her gaze away from the endless farmland to look at her female companion. The older woman was watching her with worried eyes from her seat across from her, next to Marie.

"Just looking over our mission," she told the German Exorcist, offering her a small smile. Miranda returned it.

"And?"

Madelynn fidgeted uncomfortably, having never been asked for her opinion on missions before. On the other ones preceding she had merely observed and followed another Exorcist's lead.

"Um, it seems like it could be tied to Innocence," she replied lamely.

Nervously stuffing her hands into the pockets of her Exorcist jacket - it was a habit she seemed to have developed over her time as an Exorcist - she fingered the digital camera she was carrying with her. Although she was certain she wouldn't be taking any pictures during this mission - after all, cameras in this world weren't as advanced as the ones she were accustomed to, and she'd told neither of her companions the truth as to where she was really from - it still served to bring comfort to her.

Again the dream crossed her mind, but before she could ponder over it once more Marie's head shot up.

"We're in Liverpool," he announced. She blinked in confusion, but a split second later a train conductor arrived, announcing the train's arrival.

"Marie has a distinct sense of hearing," Miranda informed her with a small smile. Of course, she already knew this, but she pretended she hadn't, nodding understandably.

"I see."

As the train slowed its speed, blaring its horn, Marie stood from his seat, Miranda and her following suit automatically. She'd never felt compelled to assume the role of a leader before when she was living in Enumclaw and had no intention to start now. In her opinion, she was far too reliant and hesitant to be a leader.

Marie didn't seem to mind taking the reigns, however, and both women trailed after him as he led the way. She knew not to underestimate her companion, but it still didn't stop her from wondering how he managed to find his way around despite being blind. Of course, there was his keen sense of hearing, but it was slightly surprising to see him weave through the thickening crowd so effortlessly. It would be impossible for a stranger to tell that he was blind.

Although the man was clearly capable of leading without their help, Miranda still quickened her pace to catch up with him. Holding onto his arm, she gently directed him through the crowd. It was impossible to tell what the woman was saying as Madelynn was several feet behind them, but judging by her gestures she assumed she was pointing out obstacles.

She'd never seen this side of the older female Exorcist before, so it shocked her a little. There'd been many times at the Order where they'd crossed paths, and she had yet to actually see in person the comical side her that was frequently portrayed in Katsura Hoshino's work. While she knew the woman still had her moments (apparently, Miranda had apologized profusely to Allen after mistaking him and Madelynn for being siblings), she had a far more serious side to her. Until now, however, she'd never seen Miranda break away from her shell.

It was almost... sweet.

Right as that particular thought registered in her head, she blinked. She'd never been one for romance. She'd always just gone with whoever her friends paired up.

_Aww, man,_ she thought to herself, frowning slightly, _Maria's rubbed off on me!_

Thankfully, before she could bang her head against a wall in frustration, they finally exited the train. Liverpool's train station was packing with people pushing and shoving, too much in a hurry to remember their manners. It peeved her a little - she was on the small side, after all - but she forced herself to ignore everyone and instead focus on keeping up with Miranda and Marie as they searched for the Finder that was supposedly meeting them.

It was several more minutes before the train left the station and the crowd dispersed before they were able to track down the Finder. Said person was standing on the other side of the station, waiting patiently, and waved as they approached. "Good morning, Exorcists," the man said politely, bowing slightly in respect. Her eyes immediately shot up at the man as the familiar voice reached her ears. She didn't need to look any further after noticing the bandages covering his face to know it was Toma.

"Good morning," Miranda and her replied while Marie nodded in response. As she spoke, Toma's head snapped quickly in her direction, eyes widened in surprise. For a moment, he seemed to be attempting to take in her appearance, blinking rapidly.

His actions weren't too surprising, though. She was frequently mistaken for her fellow white-haired friend by others.

"Allen's been assigned to a different mission," she informed him. "I'm Madelynn. It's nice to meet you."

As realization finally sunk in, Toma nodded, bowing slightly. "My apologies, Miss Scott. My name is Toma, and I will be accompanying you on your mission."

"Just Madelynn is alright," she replied, smiling warmly.

"Very well," Toma replied, nodding curtly before turning and walking away from the trains. "Please follow me, Exorcists. We have much to discuss."

Although she wondered briefly where their destination was, she chose not to give voice to this particular question. Trailing behind Marie and Miranda, who were following closely behind Toma, she peered curiously at her surroundings. The cobblestone streets reminded her of the Ark a little, the only difference being the gas lamp posts that lined Liverpool's streets. Unlike the Ark, Liverpool was also live with people attending to their daily chores.

Down the street, smoke poured from what looked to be a factory. Inside was even busier than the streets, with workers scrambling to complete their work in a timely manner. Teenagers her age and even smaller children were among the assembled workers. As they passed the building, she watched with a mixture of awe and surprise. Although she'd been aware of how life was like in the nineteenth century, she'd never imagined herself living in it.

In many ways, 'different' didn't even begin to cover it.

"Do you see anything, Madelynn?" Marie asked they passed the factory and the racket died down. She blinked, having not expected such a question. Since she was still an inexperienced Exorcist, she normally just followed along with the group.

"Umm, not really. The town seems calm enough," she awkwardly replied, already aware of how contradicting her statement sounded.

She could've sworn she'd heard the man snicker. "I meant if you could see any Akuma."

Upon hearing him speak, she reddened in embarrassment. Sometimes she still forgot she had the ability to see Akuma since Allen was much quicker to speak up.

"No, I don't see any Akuma," she replied. At that moment, she caught sight of someone staring in their direction from the corner of her eye. When she turned her head to look at them, however, they quickly retreated into an ally, disappearing from view. Although she find this slightly suspicious, she wasn't given a chance to speak before Toma spoke.

"We're here."

Fixing her gaze on the building before her, she could see that they'd arrived at what looked to be a tavern. It appeared as though they had reached the outskirts of Liverpool, judging by the calmer atmosphere and the bare fields the tavern sat on. The surrounding area greatly resembled Enumclaw, which stirred a nostalgia for her hometown. Having lived in Enumclaw her entire life up until now, she'd developed an indelible attachment to the humble town she hadn't even been aware she possessed until several months ago.

And now there was the possibility of never returning.

Shaking her head to banish the grim thought, she smiled reassuringly at Miranda when she noticed the woman watching her with worry. Examining the aged wood, it was obvious the structure had seen better days and was slightly archaic. At least, she thought so. Given where she was from, everything looked old-fashioned to her, so she could very well have been wrong.

"Your rooming arrangements have already been made," Toma said as he handed each of them a room key. Mentally taking note of which room she was in, she followed the other Exorcists' suit, tucking it away into her Exorcist jacket.

As shabby as it appeared on the outside, the tavern was surprisingly well-furnished inside. Several tables occupied the area, and a fireplace kept the place warm enough to stay comfortable. Although it wasn't as stylish as she was used to, she had to admit it was pretty impressive for this time period.

Very few people were present in the tavern, likely as many of them had already set out for the day to explore the town, which allowed them to choose a table in the back of the room that was away from everyone else. Sitting in between Miranda and Toma at the square-shaped table, her stomach immediately growled as the sweet aroma of food filled her nostrils. Looking up, her eyes immediately fell upon a middle-aged woman with brown hair and eyes.

The woman must've heard her stomach, because she grinned. "Hungry, are we?"

Immediately growing red, she stammered, "no, not really..." Her response was drawn short, however, as the woman set a steaming bowl before her.

"I know a Parasitic Exorcist when I see one," the woman stated in a jovial manner. "We can't have an Exorcist fighting on an empty stomach, let alone one who's a Parasitic. Now eat up. The meal's on the house."

Eyes growing wide, she sputtered, "wh-what? No, no, it's alright-"

"I insist! You're far too skinny for an Exorcist your type. At this rate, I wouldn't be surprised if you fainted right there in that chair!" It seemed as though the woman was determined to have it her way, as she turned away and began heading back to the kitchen. As she stared at the retreating woman's back, she couldn't help but gawk.

_She scolded me!_

She was used to being scolded by Allen - the boy would've set guidelines for her diet by now if he had it his way - but to be chided by an innkeeper?

"Miss Julia's husband was a Finder, so she's familiar with Exorcists and the Black Order," Toma informed her. "She's quite... insistent when it comes to members of the organization."

Nodding understandably, she looked down at her meal, which consisted of bread and clam chowder. Her gaze returned to the kitchen, where she watched the woman dart around the kitchen hurriedly, before taking a bite. It was obvious the woman wanted to help as much as possible as well, and she was determined to not let her efforts go to waste.

Allen had taught her such manners, after all.

"How is it, everyone?" the innkeeper asked attentively, setting a rather large bowl before her. Although her eyes widened at the size, she accepted the offer, not wanting to spoil the woman's efforts.

"It's very good. Thank you," Miranda answered for everyone with a smile.

The woman nodded, satisfied with her work. "Now, if any of you need anything during your stay here, just let me know, alright?" And with that said, she gave them one last smile before returning to whatever task she'd been doing before they arrived.

"According to the mission statement," Marie began once the woman was out of earshot, "the water current began undergoing drastic changes about two months ago. There have already been several casualties, and many more are still unaccountable."

"Could it be Innocence?" Miranda offered quietly.

"It very well could be," the man responded. "We won't know until we investigate."

Madelynn looked up at Toma. "You've been investigating, right? What have you found?"

The Finder immediately straightened. "Two months ago there was an accident involving a trade ship leaving Liverpool. No cause for the accident was ever determined, and there is no way to get anymore information of what happened because there were no survivors."

"No survivors?" Madelynn repeated, leaning forward in her seat.

Toma nodded. "According to the townspeople, the disappearances began shortly afterward.

No words needed to be exchanged as her and Miranda glanced at each other to determine their next destination. Immediately, the three Exorcists rose from their seats.

"We're going there."

* * *

"This is the docking area?"

Liverpool's location gave the townsfolk full access to the River Mersey, and by the looks of it they had taken advantage of it. The docking area was huge - much larger than any other docking area she'd ever seen in Washington or Oregon, and she was from the twenty-first century - and occupied with boats of various sizes. Having never actually witnessed such a dock before, she was left in awe.

That is, until noticing the eerie vacancy.

"Yes, it is," Toma conformed quietly.

It seemed as though the others were just as disturbed by the unnerving silence, as they remained still, eyes focused intently on the sight before them. Not a single soul was present and by the looks of it it'd been this way for quite some time now.

When it appeared that no one was going to move anytime soon, she forced herself to take the lead, everyone following after her as she slowly walked along the boardwalk, eyes peeled for anything out of the ordinary. "What does the surrounding area look like?" Marie asked, falling into step beside her as they walked.

"There's a lot of boats," she replied, examining the area. "No one's out on the river or at sea, though. All the boats are here." Peering into a fishing boat, she added upon finding it vacant, "and they're empty too."

"All trade and fishing services stopped a few weeks ago," Toma informed them.

She couldn't blame the townspeople; the water was far too dangerous to navigate through, after all.

"All of it?" Miranda repeated, eyes glazed over with uncertainty.

Toma nodded. Her eyebrows furrowing as she thought deeply, Madelynn opened her mouth to speak. The words were lost in her throat, however, when her vision suddenly turned gray without warning, signaling that her eye had activated. Gasping in surprise, having not expected it, she turned sharply, hoping to locate the Akuma before they attacked.

"Madelynn?" Marie spoke, turning to face her. Worry was evident in his expression as he looked at her. "What's wrong?" There was no need for anyone to inform him of the dire circumstances, though, as the Akumas' cackling soon filled their ears. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she studied the Akuma. Their atrocious laughter was carrying over the cries of the souls trapped within them that were begging for salvation. She would've flinched, but she'd long grown used to it. By no means was it a pleasant sound, however. It never was. Both of her companions quickly reacted to their presence, however, invoking their Innocence.

Noticing that both of her companions had already reacted to their presence and invoked their Innocence, she closed her eyes, focusing hard. "Crown Clown," she mumbled softly. It was a simple command - likely inaudible to the rest of the group - but proved to be equally as effective, nonetheless. Crown Clown stirred within her for the briefest moment before it answered her call, materializing from thin air and unraveling itself in its wake.

"Miranda," Marie instructed as he watched the approaching Akuma, "protect Toma." The woman nodded, not even the slightest hint of anxiety evident in her expression as she followed the man's orders. She blinked, still not used to this particular side of the German Exorcist.

Not much time was given for her to dwell on this fact, however, as a sudden sharp pain in her left eye reminded her of the Akumas' presence. As her gaze returned to their opponents, she carefully studied them. She prayed she was judging them correctly. Her cursed eye was not an asset she'd been dedicated to learning about extensively, especially when Allen was understandably touchy about the subject.

"Madelynn," her head immediately snapped in Marie's direction upon hearing him speak, "how many Akuma are there?"

"About a dozen," she replied. "Three level twos, one level three, and the rest are level ones."

Right as she finished speaking, the Akuma seemed to notice their presence at last. Many of the higher level Akuma sneered at them as the level one Akuma chorused, "Exorcists!"

Out of the corner of her eye, she watched nervously as Marie raised his arm. Immediately recognizing this signal, she held her breath, preparing for what she knew would come next.

It didn't take much for things to go awry, after all.

As though sensing her qualm, Marie looked up, offering her a reassuring smile. Then, without warning, he dropped his arm swiftly.

Her cue.

Any hesitation that was still lingering was forgotten as she leapt forward, feeling Crown Clown's energy pulsate throughout her entire body as it reacted to the Akuma's presence. _"Crown Belt_!" she cried out, thankful that her Innocence followed her command. Crown Belt and Marie's Noel Organon wrapped around the Akuma tightly, rendering them immobile.

"Keep your hold on them," Marie ordered.

She nodded, but blinked upon realizing that the level three was nowhere to be seen. "Where's..."

"Foolish Exorcist!" a demonic voice sounded from behind her, cutting her off in the process. Whipping her head back in alarm, her eyes widened as she found the level three Akuma standing before her. Marie spun around, likely to warn her, but it was too late. The Akuma grasped hold of her by the collar, effortlessly pulling her from the ground. It allowed her to hang uselessly for a moment, watching her struggle for air, before sneering at her and tossing her away as though she were merely a piece of garbage.

Letting out a cry, she struck the ground face-first, continuing to tumble until crashing into a tree. Wincing in pain, she rubbed the back of her head, stumbling to her feet. Upon noticing the deep scrapes that decorated her arms and hands, she inwardly groaned.

Her body _still_ had yet to adapt to this world.

Miranda immediately gasped as their gazes locked, and Madelynn could only assume she'd scraped her face as well. Holding up her hand to stop her, she told her before falling to her knees, "I'm fine. Protect Toma."

Between Miranda protecting Toma and Marie keeping the other Akuma in place, however, neither were able to come to her aid as the level three approached her. Showing no mercy, it grabbed her by the hair, roughly dragging her back onto her feet. "You're unusually weak today, Allen Walker," it scoffed, amusement clear in its tone.

She, on the other hand, wasn't amused. She frowned, staring at it. Mistaking her for being Allen's long-lost twin was one thing, but to mistake her for _being him_? She was a girl for Pete's sake! Was that so hard to see?

The Akuma must've noticed finally, because its wicked grin faded away, its eye brow raising slightly. "Wait... you're not Allen Walker."

"You're not the first," she mumbled, cracking a pained smile, "and you won't be the last either."

The Akuma smirked at her. "Oh, but I'm afraid it will be," it retorted, shoving her back onto her knees. As it released its hold on her, its fingernails extended, glimmering in the light. "As you will soon be meeting your demise."

Her eyes widened, and the Akuma grinned in amusement before raising its arm, preparing to strike at her. She was quick enough to dodge, however, rolling to the side in just the nick of time as it struck the tree that had been directly behind her instead. It growled in displeasure, and she watched in anticipation as it raised its arm once again, but when it tried to lash at her a barrier appeared out of nowhere, blocking the attack. It also worked to imprison the Akuma, rendering it useless for the time being.

Surprised, she looked at the only person in their group who possessed such an ability, finding Miranda and Toma standing a few yards away. Both were no longer in Miranda's protective barrier and were now completely vulnerable. Nevertheless, she still nodded in thanks, rushing to aid Marie.

Crown Clown had receded after her unexpected encounter with the level three Akuma, but it appeared that her male companion had handled the situation just fine. He'd managed to restrain the Akuma once more, making their task all the more easier.

Marie nodded, and she immediately leapt forward. Her left hand glowed slightly as she prepared her attack.

"Cross Grave!"

Currently, Cross Grave wasn't the safest technique for her to use. While it was one of the few techniques Allen had taught her to use, the concern was that it drained her energy quickly. They'd planned to use it only if Marie deemed it safe to use.

None of that mattered now, however, as the deed had already been done. She'd already unleashed her attack, and not much more than a split second later a chain of explosions swept through the area, producing a thick cloud of smoke. Immediately feeling the repercussions of her actions, she heaved a sigh, leaning against a tree for support.

As she'd expected, Cross Grave hadn't taken out all of the lower level Akuma. The level twos and a few level ones still remained, though none of them were able to move very much. Marie still had his hold on them, and proceeded to effortlessly dispose of the Akuma before turning to face her.

"Are you alright?"

She blinked.

"You're exhausted. I can tell by your breathing pattern."

That served to clear up her confusion. Pushing herself away from the tree, albeit unsteadily at first, she told him, "I'm okay." She smiled reassuringly, but out of habit more than anything. He wouldn't be able to see it, after all.

Eyes wandering over to their remaining opponent, the level three, she regarded it cautiously. She knew full well that it was still out of her league, but had no doubts that with Marie's help they would take it down fairly quickly.

Marie nodded at Miranda, and out of the corner of her eye she watched as the older woman rose her arm a bit. She spoke softly to her Innocence, likely instructing it to release the barrier that kept the Akuma restrained. Time Record glowed brighter for a moment as it followed its user's commands, and before long the barrier dispersed, freeing the Akuma. Before it could move, however, Madelynn had already immobilized it with Crown Belt.

"Foolish Exorcist," it scoffed, and it gave a sharp tug, pulling her down to her knees. It attempted to lunge at her, but Marie acted quickly, wrapping it in his strings. She pushed herself back onto her feet, but before she could act, Marie had already used his Innocence to slice through the Akuma.

"That's the last of them, it seems," she said after a moment. Her gaze drifted away from the smoke to her arms and legs, and she let out a long sigh as she saw that her skin was decorated with bruises and minor cuts. One particular bruise on her arm she had likely received when she'd been thrown against the tree was a dark color of purple. She let out a hiss of pain as she pressed down on it with her thumb a bit too hard.

Marie's head immediately snapped up upon hearing her. "Are you injured?" he asked her.

Before she had a chance to respond, Miranda rushed over. "It isn't too bad is it?" The woman continued to blurt out questions frantically, most of which she couldn't comprehend, until she grasped her head. "Gah! I knew I should've been more alert!"

She smiled sheepishly, having never seen the woman acting in such a manner before. "I'm okay," she reassured her, trying to choose her words carefully. None of her companions were aware of her true origins, and she had no plans to enlighten them of it anytime soon. "I just bruise really easily. I'll be fine."

Miranda nodded, eyes filled with worry. As hard as she tried, Madelynn was unable to pay attention to her as she continued to speak, her eyes trained on a set of bushes, where a long figure stood. They were too concealed to make out their identity, but the way they grew rigid upon realizing they'd been spotted told her it wasn't an Akuma or Noah. The person then quickly turned and disappeared into the wooded area.

For a moment, she merely stared at the spot where they'd once been. She was certain that what she'd seen was truly reality, but a small part of her was suspicious that her mind was playing tricks on her.

"Madelynn?" Marie's voice drew her back to reality.

She blinked, trying to compose herself once more. "Hmm?"

"You seem uneasy."

She hesitated. What if she was wrong? What if her mind really was playing tricks on her?

"Someone was watching us," she informed them, finally deciding to give voice to her suspicions.

Miranda immediately stiffened. "Are they a Noah?"

She opened her mouth to speak, but Marie beat her to it. "I think you're just uneasy, Madelynn. I hear no one's heartbeat except for our own."

"But-"

Marie interrupted her, "you'll be fine, Madelynn. You just need some extra rest."

She frowned, but before she could retort the man turned and started for the inn, his mind already made up. Miranda offered her a smile before guiding her away from the battlefield, Toma trailing not too far behind.


	32. Chapter 32

**_Author's Note_** - As always, thank you to everyone who has added _Living Animation_ to their favorite and alert lists, and reviewed. Your support is extremely encouraging, and I cannot thank you all enough.

I would also like to thank **Sammy** for their anonymous review.

**Disclaimer** - I do not own _D. Gray-Man_. The original plot and its characters belong to their respective owner, Katsura Hoshino.

* * *

"I'm not hurting you, am I?"

As her gaze switched from the dark carpet to the woman, she smiled reassuringly. "No, not at all. Thank you, Miranda."

Madelynn couldn't help but frown a little when Miranda paused uncomfortably for a moment. It was obvious the woman was surprised that she had been thanked, having always believed she was useless. Had she been called worthless for so long that she had grown to believe that anything more was simply unattainable for her?

Much to her relief, however, Miranda's cessation did not last long. Eyes watering slightly, she smiled softly before resuming her work, wiping the younger Exorcist's face with a cloth.

"You're very welcome, Madelynn."

The instant they'd returned to the tavern they were staying at, the older woman had insisted that she treat her scratches herself. Madelynn had been surprised by her compelling desire to do so, but didn't have the heart to refuse. Miranda had looked so guilty at the time as she eyed over the scratches and bruises she'd received during their battle.

Hence why she was currently sitting on her bed with the older Exorcist kneeling before her, dabbing at the scratches that marred her face.

The room was simple. The original carpet, which she was certain had seen better years, was no longer distinguishable and now adorned a muddy brownish color. The bed sheets were worn, having been torn and sewed back together several times over the years. The wood that had been used to construct the table and dresser was of a faded color. Some of the drawers were impossible to pull out, and one was missing altogether.

Madelynn, herself, didn't mind. The innkeeper, who called herself Julia, was a kind and hardworking women. It was obvious she was already ashamed of the furniture, and she had no plans to make the woman feel any worse.

She'd seen much worse, anyway.

"Miranda," she said gently, "you don't have to do this. I'm perfectly fine with taking care of myself."

"No, no, it's fine," Miranda replied without even batting an eye, continuing to tend to her wounds.

She suppressed a frown. "You must be tired," she tried to reason with the older woman.

"I can do this," Miranda told her, in a tone that was stern and made her flinch slightly in surprise. She must have noticed, though, as she took a deep breath. "Please," she added, much softer, "let me do this."

"Miranda..." The younger Exorcist found herself at a loss for words.

"It's my job to protect people," Miranda murmured as she dabbed at a particular nasty cut on Madelynn's cheek. The woman was silent for a while, a troubled look on her face, and Madelynn began to feel guilty. "Has anyone told you about the old Headquarters?"

In truth, no one had, but she didn't see the harm in lying. There was no need in wasting Miranda's time. "Yes."

The woman trembled, and for a moment Madelynn was certain that she was going to cry. She managed to hold herself together, although her voice was shaky. "We lost so many people," she whispered. "And I was powerless to save them."

For a moment, Madelynn allowed her thoughts to trail back to the morning that marked the destruction of the Order's original Headquarters. It'd been heartbreaking just to see it as ink on paper, and she couldn't even begin to imagine how it felt to the survivors who had witnessed it first-hand.

Powerless to do anything.

She'd felt that way before, hadn't she? So many times. When she'd tried to run from Allen, Lavi, and Kanda that first day. When she'd spoken with the Fourteenth. When she'd said goodbye to her friends and her mother, knowing just as much as they did that she may never return. Even as she laid there on the floor of Hevlaska's chamber, watching the Innocence embed itself into her left arm, feeling Crown Clown settling itself inside of her very own body.

But, somehow, all that seemed minor compared to what everyone else had been forced to live through that day.

"It's my job to protect people," Miranda continued, drawing her out of her thoughts. "At first, it seemed so perfect. It felt like my true calling - something that only I was meant for doing. Being an Exorcist means the world to me; it's all I have left. If Time Record had never chosen me for its accommodator, I don't know _where_ I would be." Her smile faded suddenly. "But... sometimes I can't help but wonder if I'm even good enough for that." She grimaced and lowered her head, her bangs hiding her eyes. "My job is to protect everyone. But that's _all_ I can do. I can't take away time; I can only stop it for a short while. In the end, my comrades are still hurt; I've still failed."

Truthfully, it had never occurred to her how Miranda might have felt always standing on the sidelines of the battlefield. It was obvious now more than ever that the woman yearned for nothing more than to be standing beside them while they fought.

And she chastised herself over never noticing before.

Why had she never seen it until now? Why hadn't _any_ of them seen it? Had they been so focused on overseeing Miranda's safety that they had turned a blind eye toward her suffering?

Up until now, she had always basked in the resolve she had made for herself the day she had returned to Enumclaw. She had known the minute she stepped through that gate that being an Exorcist was what mattered to her and had sworn to her comrades she would stand beside them on the battlefield she had tried to run from not too long ago.

Now she couldn't have regarded it more bitterly.

That battlefield she'd tried to escape was the same one Miranda entered on a daily basis, acting as their support when in all reality she yearned for nothing more than to be the one facing their enemies head-on.

Well, Madelynn was resolved more than ever to correct her mistake.

"I think you're the strongest one out of all of us," she declared without hesitation, meeting Miranda's gaze.

Miranda froze, the cotton ball she was using to wash her wounds still hanging in midair. "Re...Really?" There was a newfound hope evident in her eyes.

"Of course." After seeing the woman's eyes light up, she couldn't stop herself from smiling. "I could never stand in your shoes during a battle; it'd hurt far too much. But you do it every single time, and you never complain. You never chose to be the healer of the group, and yet you accepted it without second thought. To me, your job is the hardest out of all of us, and I don't think anyone other than you would ever be able to do it."

The older woman smiled, wiping away a few stray tears that had escaped. "Thank you, Madelynn." She laughed lightly. "You always seem to understand us all so well."

Madelynn shrugged, though her smile still stayed plastered to her face. "I guess I pay attention to others' stories well," she offered as an excuse.

Miranda didn't seem to be buying it, though, and Madelynn felt panic begin to well up inside of her. "No, I don't think it's that. I can't put it into words, though. It's just... sometimes, it's as though you've known all of us long before we even met." She laughed softly to herself. "It's like you read us like a book."

Madelynn couldn't help but notice the irony in that.

"Still," Miranda continued, eyes glazing over as she fell into deep thought, "you always understand things so well... a little _too_ well."

Madelynn blinked. "Too well?" she inquired, feigning confusion. She could already tell that their conversation was about to go in a direct that she did not like, and it was far too late for her to backtrack.

That is, without Miranda growing anymore suspicious than she already was.

"There's been rumors," Miranda told her. "Some suspect that you're a spy for the Earl. I don't believe it, since Crown Clown chose you as its accommodator on its own accord, but I do agree with those that believe you're hiding something."

Nervously, she stared at the carpet. She really wasn't ready to tell another person where she was from, but at the same time she didn't want one of her comrades to think of her as untrustworthy.

"I'm not working for the Earl," she replied quietly. "However, there are some things about myself that I've chosen not to share with others."

When she met Miranda's gaze once more, she was also faced with several emotions in the woman's eyes: surprise, curiosity, and most of all hurt. Miranda pressed her lips together, obviously still attempting to come to terms with the fact that she'd kept something to herself all of this time. "Please, go on."

"You may have heard another rumor about me having an ability that allows me to know a person inside and out once I have met them." The words coming from her mouth were almost laughable, but she managed to maintain her composure. "That rumor is untrue... however, there _is_ some truth to it." She paused for a moment to offer the woman a smile. "You see, it only seems that I can read you all like a book because... well, I have."

Miranda merely stared, too stunned to even speak.

Madelynn closed her eyes, taking a deep breath.

This was it; there was no holding back now.

"I was born in the United States on May 9, 1994."

Miranda blinked. "But that isn't possible. We haven't even reached the twentieth century yet."

"The America I'm from isn't the one you are thinking of." Once she was certain that she'd captured the woman's attention, she continued, "the America I come from is located in a whole another dimension."

Just as she had assumed would happen, Miranda's eyes grew wide, the cotton ball dropping from her hand. "You're an _alien_?"

She snickered. "Well, I suppose I could be considered one, being extraterrestrial and all, but I'm still human."

"I still don't understand, though." Miranda asked her, "if you're from a whole different world, how did you get here? How can you speak our language? How do you even _know _about us?"

"I'm not from another planet, if that's what you're thinking; I've always lived on Earth. I meant it when I said I was from another dimension. English is my first and only language. And I know about you all because of Katsura Hoshino, a mangaka from Japan."

"I don't understand any of this."

Madelynn smiled sheepishly. "Well, to put it simply, Katsura Hoshino wrote a book about this world and everything in it."

Understanding shone in the woman's eyes. "So you know so much because..."

Madelynn nodded, face reddening in embarrassment. "Yes, I was a fan."

Both of them fell into an uncomfortable silence, and she watched as Miranda slowly stood, picking up the cotton ball she'd dropped while she had been in shock. "Is that why you shut yourself off from us?" Miranda asked her quietly, tossing the cotton ball into the garbage bin. "Because you were afraid of what we might have thought of you?"

For a moment, she thought hard. Why _had_ she tried to put up so many walls between her and everyone else? To prevent them from thinking that they were fighting for a world that didn't exist? A world that so many believed to be nonexistent?

"For many reasons," she muttered. "But most of all, I was just scared. I didn't understand what had happened, or why all of it was happening to me. There was so many questions, and I couldn't bring myself to tell everyone where I'd really come from."

"Madelynn," Miranda said, bending down to her level and lying a hand on her shoulder, "you don't need to do this to yourself. We would've been shocked, but no one can't be shocked for too long. Everyone in the Black Order is like family. Family should never have to keep secrets from each other in fear of being rejected."

Hearing the woman's words served to reassure her. "Thank you, Miranda."

Miranda smiled. "You're welcome." For another moment, both were lost in their own thoughts. In the end, it was Madelynn who broke the silence, after hearing the older Exorcist chuckle.

"What?"

Miranda covered her mouth with her hand as an attempt to settle her laughter. "Sorry, it's just that... well, you injure very easily. I've never met someone capable of getting so many scratches just from falling on the ground like that."

Madelynn immediately flushed in embarrassment. It wasn't like she _tried_ being such a klutz! She couldn't bring herself to be too irritated by the comment, however. She'd heard it so many times from her friends that she'd grown used to it long ago.

A wave of nostalgia washed over the young adult, and she smiled softly. Whether it was fake or genuine, she was uncertain. "My mother was always puzzled by my uncanny clumsiness too." Upon remembering her beloved mother, she stared down at the floor once more.

Sometimes, she missed Enumclaw so much...

Miranda must have noticed, because she immediately grew concerned. "Madelynn?"

Shaking her head to rid herself of the thoughts circulating, she smiled. "I'm alright. Just a little homesick, that's all."

Madelynn returned the smile. Her gaze traveling to the wall opposite them, where a window was visible, she could see that night had finally fallen on the town. Seeing the stars twinkle somehow made her thoughts drift back to her last camping trip. It made her recall the nights she and Maria had laid on their blankets outside and talked for endless hours until neither of them could even think straight even more. If she remembered correctly, one night they had even fallen asleep outside unintentionally.

"It's nice to see the stars," she mumbled absently. Miranda had looked up at her, though, so she continued, "it rained a lot back home. Usually, it was too cloudy at night to see the stars. One time my friend dragged me along with her for a camping trip and we got a flat tire in the middle of Arizona of all places." She laughed lightly. "It was the worst camping trip ever... yet, ironically, it was also my favorite."

She was certain the woman had barely understood a single word she'd spoken, yet she stayed quiet. Finally tearing her gaze from the starry sky, she drew her legs to her chest, securing them. "It's really odd, though. On that camping trip we talked nonstop about you all. And now I'm here as an Exorcist. It's... it's so unreal." She stared at the ground in shame. "I used to think all of this was unreal. I don't know what I thought it was. It just seemed so impossible for everyone to be real."

"Being an Exorcist isn't as simple as it seems," Miranda said quietly. Her smile had disappeared, and a thoughtful look now took its place. "We're forced to leave everything behind, sometimes even ourselves. It's the only way to cover the pain we feel for abandoning our loved ones."

She nodded in understanding, and once more the pair shifted into another uncomfortable silence. This time, however, it was her who broke it, a small smile tugging at her lips.

"There are things that I've come to like, though."

At first, Miranda stared in surprise, but then she smiled as well. "Really?"

She nodded. "These past few months, I've met so many wonderful people. Everyone's already so close, yet you all bent over backs just to make me feel at home, like I truly belonged."

Miranda nodded in agreement. "We're all so fortunate to have each other, even if under such grim circumstances. It's been a long and painful journey so far, but at the end of every day, I can't help but feel grateful. So many wonderful things have happened, and none of them would have ever occurred had I never been chosen by Time Record."

The woman's words served well in catching her off guard. They dug deep - much deeper than anyone else's words ever had. Suddenly, everything seemed to fall into place.

It was all fate.

Truthfully, Madelynn didn't really believe in fate, having never been given any reason to. For as long as she could remember, her mother had always taught her to be self-relying. In her mother's opinion, good things didn't come out of karma or fate - it came from the hard work that you put into it.

None of that applied here, however. She was not here because of hard work. As far as she was concerned, she'd never even _intended_ stepping foot into this world - a world that by all means was not her own - much less take part in a war. That didn't mean she never wondered just why it was_ her_ chosen for the position and not someone else.

It was a question that all Exorcists asked themselves at one point or another, though, she assumed. Why did Time Record choose Miranda as its host? Why did Crown Clown choose Allen? Why did the Dark Boots choose Lenalee?

She wouldn't even be here right now had she never opened that door.

"Fate..." she murmured absently. It felt odd thinking this way, but as the word slipped from her mouth it somehow felt right.

"I guess you could call it that," Miranda mused. "Sometimes, I wonder if things happen to us just because of our Innocence's doing, or if it's just meant to be."

_"Because God isn't sadistic."_

As she remembered the Fourteenth's words he'd spoken during her very first night at the Order, she couldn't help but smile a little.

Maybe some things were just meant to happen - like fate.

"Do you think that's why you were fired from so many jobs?" she asked quietly, unable to stop herself as she uttered those words. As expected, Miranda immediately grew crestfallen upon being reminded of her early failures. Desperate to reassure the woman, she quickly added, "I mean, you do so well as an Exorcist. Maybe you were fired so many times so that you would find your way to what was truly meant for you?"

Miranda reddened slightly. "Is that your reasoning? That nothing happens without a purpose?"

She shrugged. "I guess you could put it that way... I've never thought of it in that context." She thought deeply for a moment. "I like thinking of the world that way, though." She eyed her left arm. "There are many things that I still don't understand, like why Crown Clown chose me or why it even split in the first place - really, it makes me wonder if Katsura Hoshino's aware of this. If not, she should really know what Innocence does behind her back."

"Not everything is meant to be understood right away, I think," Miranda replied.

She grinned. "Well, at least I now know there's a purpose for being so horrible at Rock, Paper, Scissors, though."

Miranda raised an eye brow. "I'm not sure there's a purpose to that, Madelynn..."

She merely smiled in response.

"If I hadn't chosen scissors, I wouldn't even be here right now."


	33. Chapter 33

**Disclaimer - **I do not own _D. Gray-Man_. The original plot and its characters belong to their respective owner, Katsura Hoshino.

* * *

The floorboard gave a rather pronounced groan beneath her feet as she flittered carefully through the halls. Wincing at the disturbance, she quickly relieved pressure on the worn wood, letting out a sigh of relief when all fell silent once more. Closing her eyes, she breathed in deeply, forcing herself to relax as she prepared herself once more.

Now that night had fallen and most had long since retired to their rooms for the night, she had dedicated herself to perfecting her skills in hiding her presence.

After all, now was the perfect time to train.

If there was one thing she'd learned during her time in this world, it was that Exorcists went through a lot more training than one would think. For her, everything had become training. When she raced to the library as fast as she could for school, she worked on maintaining her endurance. When she played Chess with others, she worked on her strategic skills. When she sparred with other Exorcists during training sessions, she always attempted to study their movements in an effort to determine their next move. The others found it strange – apparently, they preferred thinking of Chess as a way of unwinding after a difficult mission – but she didn't let it bother her too much.

It wasn't like she met their standards of "normal", anyway.

"Sneaking, are we?"

Honestly, the last thing she'd been expecting was for someone to be up, and for this she was flustered. As an Exorcist, she was always supposed to be on her guard, no matter what. Her poor perception was a sign that she'd been relying too much on the slim probability of her enemies being predictable enough.

Because they weren't going to be merciful once she fell into their trap.

Hard as she tried, she as unable to hide the fact that she'd been caught off guard. Eyes widening, she let out a startled yelp, to which the newcomer responded to with a chuckle that made her redden in embarrassment. This didn't mean she wasn't prepared, though. Spinning sharply on her heels, she was about to invoke her Innocence when she caught a glimpse of who the intruder was.

A man.

Because of the poor lighting, it was difficult to make out his figure, but there was no questioning whether or not he was human. She'd already been caught off guard; any enemy would have already taken advantage of that slip.

"Sorry," she mumbled, standing down. Adrenaline was still racing through her veins, leaving her on edge. "I was just..."

Thankfully, she had noticed soon enough to catch herself. A split second later and her Innocence would have been exposed, effectively blowing their cover.

Much to her surprise and confusion, however, the man merely chuckled. "It's quite alright, Miss Exorcist."

Her eyes narrowed in suspicion, although it was more out of habit than anything else. "How did you know...?

She wasn't given a chance to respond before the innkeeper's voice rose from the silence that surrounded them. "Ralph, is that you?" The woman stepped out of the dark shadows that obscured her figure, eying hi with question. "I thought you were already in bed."

Ralph grinned at the innkeeper. "I wasn't aware I had a bed time."

The woman merely rolled her eyes. "Clearly you are in need of one." For a moment, she peered through the darkness, and Madelynn stared back awkwardly, uncertain whether she should speak or not. "Madelynn? Is that you?"

She nodded shyly. "Good evening, Miss Julia," she greeted softly.

The innkeeper sighed deeply. "Goodness, you Exorcists are much too polite for your own good. Call me 'Julia'. There is no need for such formalities here."

For the umpteenth time that evening she blinked. "Um... alright?" she stammered, not quite certain how to answer the woman.

"Now," the woman offered her a smile that was much more gentle, placing her hands on her hips as she leaned forward slightly, "what might I get for you, dear?"

"There aren't any pillows in my room, and I was wondering if there were any extras..."

"Now, that wasn't so hard, was it?" Julia let out a chuckle before turning on her heels and heading in the direction she'd come from, gesturing for her to follow. "Right this way."

Madelynn silently trailed after the woman, careful not to lose her as they navigated through the dark hallways. In many ways, it reminded her of the Order's own winding corridors she had grown so expertly well at journeying through during the night. The only difference was the feel. No matter how hard she tried, she'd never been able to shake off the impression; Headquarters always felt like a prison whenever everyone had gone to bed. Julia's tavern was quite the opposite, however, still holding onto that welcoming feel that felt almost like home.

It was several minutes later when they finally arrived at a clearing. Through the small lighting that was supplied by the gas lamp Julia had placed before her, she was able to see that they were in the dining area.

"Go ahead and make yourself at home," Julia said with a smile as she lit another lamp, this time for herself. "I won't be long." She then disappeared into another room, likely in search of the pillow she'd requested.

Deciding it would be best to find something to occupy her time for however long it would take the woman, Madelynn ventured across the room to a wall that had caught her interest earlier during the day. Pictures lined the wall, and upon inspecting them more closely she realized they were of a man and a boy who couldn't have been much older than eight or nine. Many of the photographs had captured the innkeeper herself, smiling genuinely along with both men.

"Ah, so it's my family portraits that have you so distracted," the innkeeper's voice came from behind her, making her jump in surprise.

"Sorry," she apologized, eyes wide as she faced the woman, "I was just..."

Julia merely chuckled in response. "It's nothing to be ashamed about. If I didn't want people getting curious, then I wouldn't have hung them up there in plain sight, would I?"

"Is this your son?" she asked curiously, eyes falling on the young child that had been photographed once more.

A faint smile appeared on her face. "Yes, that is my son."

Madelynn's gaze fell on the man in the photos once more.

"Toma said your husband was a Finder," she murmured after a moment, already fearing the worst.

The innkeeper was silent for a moment, collecting herself, before she quietly replied, "I met him at Headquarters shortly after I became a Finder myself."

She blinked in surprise. "You were a Finder?"

Julia nodded. "I was stationed in Russia on my first mission. The Order had underestimated the number of Akuma in the vicinity, however, and consequently many of us were injured after a devastating encounter. Nathan and I were among the wounded and were separated from the rest of the group. I had originally found him unconscious and taken cover in a cave, where we spent the next several days in hiding." She gave a small, pained smile. "Nathan woke half a day later, and something just... clicked between us."

A small smile appeared on Madelynn's face.

"Anyway," the innkeeper continued, "I found out I was pregnant with our child several years later and resigned from the Order, though I still participated as a Supporter. In the end, I never returned to the Order. After my husband died while on a mission, I decided instead to stay here in Liverpool and run this tavern."

For a moment, Madelynn was actually speechless.

"I..." she struggled for words, "I'm sorry to hear that."

"Don't be," the innkeeper replied, waving off her condolences, "I've managed to heal over the years." The woman gave her a warm smile before her expression grew stern. "Now, I expect that you hurry off to bed. Exorcists need their sleep just like everyone else."

Madelynn turned to go, but stopped when a thought occurred to her. "Julia?" When she saw that she'd caught the woman's attention, she asked softly, "do you resent the Order for what happened to your husband?"

Julia sighed. "I'm saddened that he is no longer with us, but I could never be angry. He'd dedicated himself to his work long before I had ever entered the picture, and I could never expect him to act differently. He dreamed of a better world for all of us. He died doing what he loved." Her expression changed as she reached forward, capturing some of Madelynn's hair in between her fingers and analyzing it. "Now, I'm not so fond of seeing someone as young as yourself fighting. I swear I'm seeing Exorcists recruited younger and younger these days." Her eyes fell on her hair. "You must have gone through so much..."

"I've actually only been an Exorcist for a few months," she admitted sheepishly.

"Goodness! What happened to you in such a short amount of time?"

It felt odd having someone other than her mother caring so much for her well-being. Madelynn knew she couldn't tell the woman why her appearance was truly the way it was, though.

She cracked a small, pained smile.

"It's best that I don't tell you… for your own safety."

* * *

"There was another disappearance?"

Miranda nodded, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She was still dressed in her nightgown, having just woken up. "They were reported missing early this morning. That's all I know so far, though. Marie went ahead with Toma to start investigating. We'll head out as soon as we report to Komui."

Madelynn thought over this rather unexpected predicament carefully. "I'll call Komui while you get dressed," she offered as she stood from the bed she'd been sitting on, brushing off the crumbs from her breakfast that'd collected on her Exorcist uniform as she did so.

"Will you be okay doing that on your own?"

"Yeah, I saw Allen do it once." She smiled to reassure the older woman. "Don't worry; I know what I'm doing."

"Okay," Miranda replied. "I'll meet you downstairs."

Taking her leave, Madelynn immediately made her way to the front, where she knew the innkeeper would be. People were already crowding the eating area, but she knew she'd be able to call Headquarters safely in the kitchen, which would give her enough privacy.

Once she had received permission to use the inn's phone, she stepped into the kitchen. Upon entering, she was surprised to find that the phone was already being occupied by the man she'd encountered yesterday. She was about to exit quietly, not wishing to eavesdrop, when she heard him speak.

"You know I'd never let you down." Ralph was silent for a moment as he listened to the speaker on the other end of the line. He seemed to notice Madelynn's presence, however, as he gave her a small smile before turning back to the phone. "Oh, I wouldn't worry too much about that. The others are highly experienced. Just worry about yourself, alright? Take care."

Madelynn could've sworn she'd heard the person still speaking as Ralph hung up.

"Sorry," Madelynn apologized, a little embarrassed. "I didn't think anyone was in here."

"It's nothing to worry about," the man replied, waving off her apology. "It was just my father. He's always worrying about the Exorcists, especially the new recruits."

Madelynn blinked in confusion.

"Oh, my apologies." He added, "my father is a Finder." He extended his hand, "we were never properly introduced last night. The name's Ralph; pleased to make your acquaintance."

"Madelynn," she replied, accepting the gesture.

"If you need anything, just let the innkeeper know. Ma's pretty knowledgeable when it comes to current events."

Madelynn nodded dumbly.

"Well, I'd better go." He handed the phone to her. "Good luck, Miss Exorcist." And on that note he made his departure. Madelynn stared at the spot where he'd been standing just a moment ago.

_Ma_? If Ralph was referring to the innkeeper in such a manner that would mean that he was her son. Which meant his father was Julia's husband.

But her husband was deceased – killed in the line of duty.

Madelynn frowned.

Something didn't add up right.

* * *

"_Headquarters. Supervisor Lee speaking."_

Madelynn couldn't help but detect the exhaustion that was evident in Komui's voice. "Komui? It's Madelynn."

She could almost imagine the man blinking. _"Madelynn? What'__s wrong? Where are Marie and Miranda?"_

"Um…" She paused for a moment, at a loss for words. "Well, we're heading north to Warrington to investigate another disappearance. Marie's already gone ahead with Toma, and Miranda's busy so I offered to call."

"_Oh,__ I see."_ Komui let out a sigh. _"I was afraid the disappearances would spread to other areas."_

"Could it be the Earl has already determined the Innocence isn't in Liverpool?"

"_So it would seem. Alright – go ahead and head north.__ Just be careful, okay?"_

"Roger."

She was about to bid him goodbye when he spoke, concern lacing his tone. _"Madelynn, how are you holding up?"_

"Fine," she replied without hesitation.

"_Marie told me last night that you seemed nervous."_

As much as she'd tried to convince Marie and Miranda that someone had been watching them, it had been to no avail. Not even Miranda, who insisted that she was likely just nervous about the mission, had been able to convince her otherwise.

And if that didn't make matters worse, it certainly did that night when Marie mentioned that she was nervous while reporting the progress of their mission. Now Komui was under the impression she was scared out of her wits about the mission.

"_Madelynn?"_

Hearing Komui's voice snapped her out of her thoughts, and she blinked momentarily. "Sorry, what was that?"

"_I suppose it was a little too early to end your training."_

"What?" She shook her head. "I'm fine, Komui. Really."

"_Just hold out for a bit longer." _At the present moment, she was certain the man wasn't paying attention to her. _"Allen's group should be finishing their mission soon. I'll send him out to meet with you as soon as he returns."_

"I don't need Allen."

_"One more mission with him wouldn't hurt. You said yourself that you had more to learn about Crown Clown-"_

"I know how to use Crown Clown. As long as I don't trip over it and poke an eye out, I'll be returning home in one piece."

"_That's a valid reason… but I'd prefer it if you would come ho__me in one piece _alive_."_

Although he'd said it as a joke, she could hear the stern that was laced in his voice. "I'll be fine."

_"Madelynn-"_

"I promise."

Komui was silent for a moment before letting out a long sigh. _"Just be careful, alright?"_

A small smile crossed her face. "Alright."

_"Listen to Miranda and Marie."_

"Okay."

There was a light click on the other end before the line went dead. After pocketing Marie's golem, which he'd loaned her the night before to make her scheduled call to Headquarters, she exited the kitchen of the tavern, smiling at the tavern keeper's wife in thanks.

It wasn't long before she found Miranda. The woman was standing at the foot of the stairs, and appeared to be looking over the map that Marie had left them. Upon noticing her approach, she smiled warmly.

"Ready to go?"

Madelynn nodded, grinning.

She couldn't explain the feeling entirely, but now that Miranda knew the truth of where she originated, it felt as though their bond had strengthened.

When she first became an Exorcist, her biggest fear had been what others would think had they discovered she was from a different universe. More specifically, a universe that viewed their own as merely ink on paper.

Admitting she had been terrified upon finding herself stranded in their world was one thing. Telling them they were merely fictional characters in her world? Awkward, but tolerable. Admitting she was a _fan_ of them and their not-so-fictional world? Downright mortifying.

But after they recovered from the initial shock – and came to realize she wasn't the kind of alien that came to Earth to abduct Earthlings – it always felt good. Good to be accepted. Good to no longer have to hide who she was from another comrade. Good to no longer have to watch what she said around someone in fear of them demanding answers.

Stepping outdoors, she grinned as small droplets of water began pounding lightly on her. It had been raining since early that morning, and she couldn't have been any happier about it.

"Bleh." Miranda made a face as she studied the dark horizon. "I should have brought an umbrella."

Madelynn merely shrugged. "I was born in the rain, so it doesn't really bother me."

The older woman let out a chuckle. "It rains a lot where you're from, I presume?"

She nodded affirmatively. "Well, yes… but I really was born when it was raining. My mother said it was one of the hugest downpours she'd ever seen."

"Looks like it's finally letting up," Miranda murmured to herself. "Shall we go?" she asked, offering a smile.

Madelynn couldn't help but beam back.

"Exorcists!"

Out of reflex, her head snapped back to look at the entrance, where the voice had come from. The innkeeper's son stood in the open entranceway, breathing heavily.

Madelynn blinked in surprise. "Ralph?"

"Ma said you were heading to Warrington. An awful long distance if you ask me." Ralph grinned. "I'm heading that way, too. Wanna lift?"

Both Exorcists exchanged a look briefly. Madelynn offered a small shrug, indicating her indifference.

It was certainly much better than walking.

"It'd be appreciated," Miranda answered with a smile.

* * *

**Author's Note** - Again, I must apologize for the late update. As of late I have been swamped with schoolwork and other commitments. Unfortunately, this has pushed _Living Animation_ and just about all of my other projects to the back burner. Do believe me when I say I have no plans for dropping anything, though.

In addition, I have published a side one-shot for _Living Animation_. It has nothing to do with the original plot - hence why it is a one-shot - but nevertheless is still worth checking out. If anyone is interested, it is published under my penname and is titled _In the Mirror_.


	34. Chapter 34

**Disclaimer** - I do not own _D. Gray-Man_. The original plot and its characters belong to their respective owner, Katsura Hoshino.

* * *

"So, what brings you Exorcists all the way out to Warrington?"

Madelynn gave an undignified yelp as one of the stage coach's wheels caught onto a rather large pot hole. She jolted forward, but otherwise was okay – well, as far as "okay" went when your bum was sore. Madelynn had come to realize within the past hour or so that stage coaches were not very comfortable.

Remembering that Ralph had spoken, Madelynn met his gaze. The young man was watching her and Miranda, waiting patiently for an answer.

"We're not sure yet. The others didn't tell us."

Madelynn winced inwardly. Her answer was nothing but a lie. Normally, such a thing wouldn't bother her – they were Exorcists, after all, and sometimes lying was inevitable – but she had never been a very convincing liar.

Quite the opposite, actually.

There was no going back now, though. Whether she liked it or not, she'd already spoken, and the only way out of this was to make herself believable.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Miranda tense. Had her lie not been as convincing as she thought?

No, it had to be. If she let herself slip, Ralph would know for sure.

Madelynn tried another approach, turning to face Miranda and faking a smile. "They sure like to travel far, don't they?" she commented with mock amusement, though she silently pleaded for the woman to follow along.

She wasn't sure how, but Miranda caught onto her plea, forcing a smile of her own. For being so timid, the older woman was cunning. "They sure do."

Madelynn wasn't very judgmental, but there was no denying that she found Ralph to be suspicious. And nothing was more frustrating than not knowing why. What if there really wasn't anything to be worried about, like Komui and everyone had been trying to assure her? What if she was just a paranoid Exorcist who was still in need of a caretaker?

But she refused to acknowledge it. She was tired of being the weak of the bunch. She was tired of being looked after so often.

For once, she would not rely on anyone. For once, she would not be the newbie that needed to be protected.

However, surprisingly enough, Ralph gave no struggle. Instead he nodded, striking up another conversation with Miranda, who happily obliged.

"Ma mentioned you were a new Exorcist," Ralph commented a short while later, looking at her. "Are you still in training?"

"Madelynn completed her training a while ago." Miranda smiled as she met Madelynn's gaze. "She's improving by the day." Once she was certain Ralph wasn't looking, the older woman laid a hand on her shoulder, her smile widening. "Good job," she mouthed.

Miranda wasn't talking about her progress, though, but rather her lie.

Madelynn merely stared in surprise as realization hit her.

Ralph hadn't even thought twice of it. He'd believed it. For once she'd been able to lie.

For once, she'd been useful.

* * *

For much of their journey to Warrington, the small group traveled along the Mersey River. And during the period of time it took to reach their destination, Madelynn studied the body of water intently. It was mesmerizing to see it snake so delicately through England's landscape.

It was just after noontime when Ralph's rusty wagon came to a screeching stop in the busy streets of Warrington. Relieved to finally get off – and perhaps restore feeling in her legs that had been cramped for God knows how long – Madelynn eagerly hopped off, nearly twisting her ankle as she landed awkwardly on the pavement. Her clumsy stunt seemed to go unnoticed, however, as Miranda exited after her, bowing to Ralph.

"It's no problem," the man replied, waving off the gratitude. "The success of your mission will more than pay for itself in the long run."

"It's still generous of you, though." Madelynn smiled. "Please also thank Miss Julia for us."

"Will do." Ralph offered one last grin, to which both Exorcists returned, before continuing on his way, further eastward to wherever it was that he was headed to pick up supplies. Madelynn paid him one last wary glance – still uncertain it was to be trusted – before shrugging it off and following after Miranda.

If he had ever intended to bring harm to them, he would have done so already.

"Are you feeling better?" Miranda asked as they traveled through the city, making Madelynn blink as she met her gaze.

Miranda's composure was surprisingly placid as she waited for an answer. It was a large improvement from yesterday, considering this morning she had practically begged Komui not to parachute Allen in. She'd gone through a lot to convince Lenalee's brother she was capable of holding up on her own, though, and wasn't about to let that fall through.

"Couldn't be better," she replied without hesitation.

Miranda sighed with relief. "That's good to hear." She smiled, clasping her hands together. "Now, shall we find the rest of our group?"

Madelynn nodded, studying the surrounding area carefully. Warrington wasn't as large as Liverpool, but it was still a considerable size. Finding their companions among the crowds would prove to be a difficult task, but they had no other choice.

Thankfully, luck appeared to be ruling in their favor that afternoon. After only twenty minutes of searching, Miranda finally spotted the remaining members of their group, and after narrowly catching herself before she tripped off the curb and landed flat on her face, she regained her balance and rushed over. Madelynn stared at the spot she'd been not even a moment ago, awed by the maneuver she had just witnessed, before following the woman's lead.

Any smile that was still plastered on her face was wiped clean as soon as she arrived, however. Marie's demeanor, which was usually calm, was etched with worry. Disappearances weren't ever a good sign, but the looks that were being passed back and forth were unsettling.

"What is it?"

She was almost afraid to hear Marie speak.

"You two should see for yourself."

It wasn't the words either of them wanted to hear.

* * *

"Where are we headed, Marie?"

Madelynn wordlessly trailed behind the other Exorcists, alongside Toma. It was the first time anyone had spoken since they had entered Warrington's neighboring fields, and she found herself watching Miranda briefly before refocusing her attention on the man who'd been questioned. They were at most a mile away from the town's entrance, navigating through a plain overgrown with shrubs as they made their way to where she could only guess was the waterside.

"Komui's theory may have been incorrect when he predicted Innocence was to be blamed for the civilian disappearances."

Both women exchanged a bewildered look. If it wasn't Innocence, what else could it be?

Madelynn didn't need to voice her question. The answer was blatantly obvious. If it wasn't Innocence, the only other possibility was Noah or Akuma.

Marie stopped so suddenly, Madelynn nearly collided with him before catching herself. She blinked in surprise before peering around him to see what it was she was supposed to see.

And upon seeing it, she promptly recoiled, eyes widened in horror.

Miranda's reaction wasn't any more restrained. She gasped, tears pouring down her cheeks as she held back a sob.

It took all of Madelynn's self-control to not retch at the sight.

She'd seen plenty of bodies before – at least, in movies, that is. Between all the crime shows her mother had insisted she watch with her and the people who died in the movies and anime she watched with her friends, she'd grown semi-used to it. Enough not to bother her.

But to see one in person?

Reality was knocking on her door, yet Madelynn still couldn't fathom it. Even when someone laid dead not more than a foot from her.

The night before they'd departed on their mission, Komui had held a mission briefing. She still remembered every last detail that had been mentioned, and she understood full well why they had been sent to Liverpool. Their supervisor had suspected that Innocence played a role in the disappearances that had been occurring in the surrounding area – whether or not he had anticipated them spreading as far as Warrington, she did not know. So far, more than a dozen were missing, Finders among the unaccounted for.

Truthfully, she'd had no clue members of their family were missing. News didn't travel fast among them. Maybe it fell upon deaf ears or no ears at all. Or maybe people just preferred to check the listings of those missing or killed in action.

She willed for it to be untrue, but there was no denying it. Not when the tan uniform Finders wore was standing out in stark contrast. Reality was really mocking her, it seemed.

Numbly, she stepped forward until the gap between her and the deceased Finder was closed. For a moment, she said nothing, merely examining the scene. If it wasn't already evident the woman had died a terrible, horrifying death, it was now. Blood stained the grass. The Finder's eyes were still widened with fear, her lips slightly parted from when she took her last breath.

It was then that realization struck her hard.

One of the missing Finders had been a woman.

"Is it…?"

Her heart pounded in her chest as she waited for the verdict that was soon to come. Part of her was scared to hear the truth, but another part of her already knew.

Toma struggled for words. "Headquarters has been contacted," he started. "And the Finder has been identified."

The response was vague, but it spoke volumes. She didn't have to ask to know the Finder had been among the missing. One less question, but so many more. Where were the other Finders? Civilians? Had they faced the same fate, or were they still alive?

"What do we do now?" Miranda asked, wiping away her tears. Madelynn couldn't bring herself to cry; she was far too shocked.

She wouldn't be given the chance, either. Her vision turned gray, and an explosion that nearly knocked her off her feet followed seconds later. Instinctively invoking Crown Clown, she spun around, only to gape at the sight before her.

Akuma were sprouting from underneath them by the dozen.

"Madelynn!" Marie called over the resonating booms that filled the dead silence that had been present just moments ago.

Knowing exactly what her orders were, she studied the ground they were standing on. Due to the chunk of ground that separated them from the enemy, she couldn't see anything, but judging by the sheer number of Akuma that were appearing and the rumbling she could feel below, it was obvious dozens of them were roaming below.

"They're ambushing from below!" she responded, still focusing on the rumbling. Each second, it seemed to grow stronger.

That was when realization hit her.

Eyes widening, she turned sharply, eyes widened and stricken with horror. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as she met Miranda's gaze, watching as her own eyes widened. She wasn't taking any chances, though. "_Move_!" she screamed, but it was too late.

A flash of light burst forth from underneath them, brighter than anything she had ever seen before, followed by a deafening explosion she would never forget. There was a sudden gust of wind, stronger than any other she'd ever felt, and as it rushed by she was thrown off her feet. Then there was only silence as she watched chunks of heavy rocks litter the spot they had stood moments before, airborne.

She fell hard. Her collision threw spurts of dirt upward, and she tumbled forward several more feet before her body finally skidded to a stop. Wincing, she opened her eyes, and was relieved to find that no Akuma were heading her way.

That wouldn't last long, though.

Every limb in her body was screaming in protest, and she felt light headed, but she ignored it. She pushed herself onto her feet, stumbling as she did so. After a moment of struggle, she regained her balance, but all victory was lost when her world spun violently and she fell once more, groaning in pain.

"_Madelynn_!" She heard Miranda scream, though it seemed far away. Maybe it was, or maybe she was messed up more than she thought.

No, she couldn't black out. Not now. Not when chaos was breaking loose around her. Not when her comrades needed her help.

Gritting her teeth, she pushed herself back up. She stumbled at first, and nearly toppled over, but managed to make it. Her head was throbbing, but she was standing. That was a start.

Her vision cleared, and upon observing her scraped hands she noticed her Innocence had deactivated. Closing her eyes, she pushed away thoughts of her pain, focusing instead on the faint warmth Crown Clown brought as it circulated through her body.

Nothing happened, though, and panic swelled in her. Was Crown Clown damaged? Forget being too weak to fight – what if she was too weak to even _invoke_? What good was she, then?

Deadweight, that's what.

Somewhere, deep within her, she felt a light twitch. She wasn't quite certain what it was, but her gut instinct gave her a good guess. "Innocence, activate!"

Nothing happened.

"Madelynn!" she heard Miranda yell once more, only it was much louder this time. Her head snapped in the direction she'd heard Miranda's voice come from. The woman stood several meters away, waving frantically with tears rolling down her face. Upon closer inspection, Madelynn saw that Toma and Marie were also unharmed, making her sigh with relief.

The reunion was short lived, however, as water crashed onto the bank behind her. Drops of water rained down on her, and she blinked as Miranda suddenly grew pale.

That is, until a roar sounded loudly behind her.

Growing equally as pale, she turned, her eyes widening at the sight. An Akuma had emerged from the river, and its eyes were focused intently on her. It emitted a threatening purple aura, and spikes decorated its arms. When she met the Akuma's gaze, it grinned maliciously at her, sending a chill up her spine. It licked its lips greedily before lunging at her.

If she couldn't invoke, she couldn't fight; and if she couldn't fight, she would die, simple as that. There was no time for her to worry about failing, though. Danger was here, and it was coming at her fast. Breathing in, she tried to calm herself. _Focus_, she reminded herself, closing her eyes.

"Crown Clown!"

Her Innocence did not protest. It knew as well as her what was at stake.

For a moment, she waited, and for that tense moment the world grew still around her. Nothing else mattered to her. She could only see the Akuma as she watched the monster that was twice her size barrel toward her, and she could only focus on her Innocence.

At last, the familiar warmth her Innocence brought when invoked washed over her, and without hesitation she welcomed it. She didn't need to look to know she had invoked successfully. Her eyes snapped open, and she raised her left arm to deflect the blow that was headed for her.

And she quickly learned defense was not her specialty.

There was a loud clash as metal collided with metal, and she nearly collapsed under the Akuma's weight. Her opponent's strength quickly proved to be greater than her own, and she struggled to hold herself up. The Akuma grinned at her, and she bit her lip, holding back a whimper as the spikes that lined its arm dug into her own.

The Akuma shifted, and it was only then she realized the spikes from the arm resting against the side of her head had been pressing into her skin. She winced as it stung, feeling blood stream down her face.

"Oh, is the wittle Exorcist hurt?" The Akuma teased.

A mistake on its part.

It was a risky maneuver, being this close in range, but it was a risk she needed to take. Without warning, she rammed into the Akuma's body, where it wasn't protected with spikes. As she had suspected, the Akuma was not prepared for it, and stumbled backwards in alarm. Taking advantage of the opening that was left to her, she gathered energy in her left hand.

And without allowing herself a second thought, she unleashed it.

"Cross Grave!"

She wasn't certain how well it'd work, being so close in distance. She'd never been this close to an Akuma before.

It proved to be effective on her part, though. The attack she had dealt struck the Akuma head-on, and it let out a shriek as it was thrown backward. She wasn't given any time to escape the repercussion that followed, however, and she found herself knocked off her feet as well.

The Akuma was quick to recover, though, and within moments it was rushing at her once again. She gritted her teeth, forcing herself back onto her feet to defend herself. That was when she caught something move in her peripheral vision. Alarmed, her gazed shifted in the direction she'd seen it move, where she was met with the sight of another Akuma headed straight for her.

The Akuma that had just arrived on the scene drew back its arm, preparing to punch her. With the other Akuma rapidly approaching, and the river standing directly behind her, there was no other escape route. She dropped down, shutting her eyes tightly as she waited tensely.

The blow never came.

Blinking in surprise, she hesitantly glanced up, only to find herself encased by Miranda's Innocence. The Akuma were held back by Marie's own weapon, rendering immobile. With one fluid stroke, the one closest to her – the newcomer – was destroyed. Madelynn met Miranda's gaze, and with a firm nod, the older woman released her.

That was when the unthinkable happened.

Well, unthinkable as much as being an Exorcist goes. For being a complete klutz, it wasn't as much of a surprise.

Her feet, which had been planted firmly on the river's muddy bank, slipped as she moved, pulling her backwards against her will. Before long, gravity did what gravity did best, and she was falling.

The Akuma cackled hysterically. "Foolish Exorcist!"

The last thing she saw before the river's rapid current swept her away was the horrified looks of her companions.

* * *

_**Author's** **Note** _- I didn't get as far with this chapter as I had originally intended, but after realizing just how long it'd been since I last updated, I decided to cut it short. Generally, I don't like to go for long periods of time without updating this fic, but I _really_ dislike making readers wait longer than two months. Thank you to everyone who reviewed and added _Living Animation_ to their favorite and alert subscriptions. It really means a lot and gives me inspiration when it's run dry!

Also, thank you to **Sammy** for their review. I couldn't thank you personally, but I really appreciate it.


	35. Chapter 35

_**Author's** **Note** _- Thank you to **Sammy**, who I could not thank for their review personally. Also, many thanks to my returning readers (and sorry for the long wait!).

**Disclaimer** - I do not own _D. Gray-Man_. The original plot and its characters belong to their respective owner, Katsura Hoshino.

* * *

There wasn't time to act.

Heck, there wasn't even time to _blink_.

Within moments, water was enveloping her, slapping against her from all sides. As wave after wave of water crashed onto her, she gasped for breath, fighting to keep herself afloat. The more she struggled, however, the more tired she became. Her strength was quickly becoming subdued by the frigid water.

A rock came into reach. Extending her arm as far as she could, she grasped onto it. The surface was so slick with water and moss, however, that her hands slid right off. She gave a sharp hiss as its sharp edge dug into her her skin, and before she was swept away once more she caught sight of the cut that now marred her skin.

Gritting her teeth, she shoved her hands under, effectively numbing the pain for the time being. Blood mixed with the water, but there was no time to dwell on that. Frustration ebbing away at her, she tried invoking her Innocence. It was no use, however. Her body was numb from the cold. Everything seemed so dull.

She couldn't give up yet, though. Not when her friends were still fighting. Not when people were counting on her.

Bracing herself for the pain, she reached upward. Almost immediately, her hands brushed against something hard and smooth, and she grasped onto it tightly. It was just as slippery as the rocks, and her hands stung as she tightened her grip, but she ignored it. She lurched forward, and she tightened her grip instinctively, so much she was certain her knuckles were turning white.

When moments passed and nothing happened, she forced her eyes open, blinking droplets of water out of her eyes as she did so. Water gushed passed her, but she was able to see the object she was now clinging to for dear life was a long branch. She heaved a sigh of relief, grateful to be alive, but didn't waste any time in dragging herself out of the water, using the branch as a lifeline. The task was difficult, and several times she'd nearly been swept away by the current or the branch neared its breaking point, but after what seemed to be forever, she finally made it back onto land. As she did so, she collapsed onto the bank, panting heavily.

It was several minutes before her body relaxed and her breathing slowed, and when it did she bit back a laugh. When she became an Exorcist, she'd imagined several worse case scenarios, but escaping a near death by drowning had not been on that list.

Hard as she tried, she was unable to suppress the grin that broke onto her face. She'd escaped a raging _river_, nearly drowning in the process. Several months ago, she would have been on the verge of a panic attack, and yet here she was, grinning like an idiot and probably resembling that of a drowned rat.

A gust of wind brushed passed her, and she froze, the revelation of the kind of trouble she was getting herself into having now been effectively delivered. The crisp air was frigid on her dampened skin, and she shivered involuntarily. Not only was she along in the middle of nowhere, but she was left with nothing but the clothes on her back.

Clothes that were soaked.

Pushing herself onto her feet, wincing as her hands throbbed in protest, she glanced at her surroundings. One thing was obvious at first glance: the fast moving current had taken her far. The area around her was flat, expanding several miles. That was it, though. Other than herself, there was nothing else present.

Pain welled up in her hands once more, and she grimaced. Turning her hands over so the palms were facing upward, she examined them closely. Not only were her gloves now stained with blood, but they were covered with long clean gashes from when the rocks had torn into them.

She needed to tend to her wounds, but now was out of the question. There was nothing to work with. At the present moment, she was probably better off leaving her gloves on to protect the wound.

She was torn from her thoughts as the sound of rustling reached her ears. Immediately alert, she invoked her Innocence, only to hiss as it swelled with pain. Only, this wasn't the same pain being emitted from the cuts on her hands – no, it was far worse. And upon glancing at her left arm, she was alarmed to find several long, deep scratches decorating the metal-like skin.

Crown Clown was damaged; that much was obvious.

That struck an even larger fear in her. Being on your own was one thing, but being completely vulnerable was another.

She wasn't given much time to ponder over a new course of action, because right at that moment the patch of tall, dead grass rustled once more before a figure rolled out of it. They gave an undignified yelp – far too high-pitched to be male – before sitting up, rubbing their head.

Madelynn blinked in surprise, deactivating her Innocence upon recognizing the intruder was not an intruder at all but a Finder.

And a rather clumsy one at that. Not that she was in any position to judge – she'd just nearly drowned in a river after _slipping_ into it.

The Finder spent a moment catching her breath. She must have run a long distance. "Thank goodness I found you," she breathed, her voice giving out near the end as she let out a cough. "I saw you struggling in that river… you really had me worried there for a moment!"

She studied the Finder, frowning as she noticed just how many bruises and cuts she had. Toma had never mentioned finding anyone from his unit after they had been separated. Was this Finder among the missing or another party the Order may have dispatched?

"Are you okay?" She asked.

The woman laughed, blue eyes falling on the small Exorcist. "Never better!" she answered with a grin. Concern soon overcame her, however, and she rushed over. Her grip was gentle, yet strong as she grasped onto her wrist. "Oh my gosh! Are you okay? No, wait – don't answer that." Madelynn blinked as the woman delved into her backpack. "Take off your gloves, please."

Madelynn obeyed without protest, hissing in pain as she did so. Thankfully, the Finder was far gentler than she was with wounds, and expertly managed to free her hands from the gloves with little pain to count for it. Blood oozed from her wounds, trickling down her fingers.

The Finder let out a small gasp. "Oh, you poor thing," she breathed as she began wrapping the wound on her right hand.

"It's okay," she offered as a response, at a loss for words. "It doesn't hurt too much."

The woman smiled. "No, no, it's quite alright, Miss Exorcist. You're always looking after everyone; let us Finders take care of you for a change."

Surprisingly enough, the woman was skilled in caring for injuries. Madelynn watched in awe as the Finder worked. Her hands moved so articulately it appeared as though she did it on a frequent basis. Before long, both of her hands were bandaged, and the woman was packing away her supplies.

"So _you're_ the new Exorcist everyone's been talking about," the Finder started casually. She smiled. "It's great to finally meet you."

Madelynn blinked. "Oh. Um..."

The woman slapped her forehead. "Oh! Pardon my manners. My name is Rosanna. I was a part of the first group of Finders stationed out here."

She perked up. So she had been right after all. "Where are the others?" She asked, hardly able to contain the edge of hope in her voice. "Are they alright?" Remembering the Finder had introduced herself, Madelynn added, "oh, sorry. My name's Madelynn."

The amused look that had been plastered on Rosanna's face disappeared as she lowered her gaze. "Many of them are no longer with us. We were searching for Innocence out here in these fields when we were ambushed by Akuma." She stared at the ground. "I've been searching for days, but I haven't found any of them." She paused in her mourning to look back up at Madelynn, eying her quizzically. "Are you with others?"

"I was, but we were separated," she answered. "The others are somewhere up river."

"Guess it can't be helped," the older woman replied, springing to her feet. Her dark brown hair, which was kept in a braid, swung with the sudden movement.

"Miss Rosanna–" Madelynn started, but was cut short by the woman as she shook her head sternly.

"Just Rosanna. We are comrades, not acquaintances. If we are going to be relying on one another for survival, I expect that you leave the formalities."

Well, one thing was for certain: Rosanna did _not_ like formalities.

Her first instinct was to shy away, but she held her ground. "Alright, then," she responded with a grin. "So, what do you propose we do now, _Rosanna_?"

"Much better." Rosanna grinned back. "Well, I think it would be best to find the others before searching for the Innocence."

And so their search began. The task seemed easy enough; with little trees, both could see ahead of them for miles. Rosanna and she had agreed the rest of their comrades would most likely be on the bank, looking for any traces of her, so they walked along it.

Finding the others proved to be difficult very quickly. The river's current had swept her further downstream than she'd originally thought. None of their surroundings looked even vaguely familiar, and they had yet to come across the battlefield. And to make matters worse, it was getting dark. Which meant temperatures would drop soon.

It took some time, but they finally came across somewhere suitable to rest for the night. The brush was uncomfortable, poking and prodding her no matter what position she took, but it was better than being out in the open. Rosanna immediately set to work, tucking branches behind other branches so as to make space for them to sit without the hassle. Once that was done, she pulled out two blankets, handing one to her.

"I grabbed as many things as I could after our camp was destroyed," Rosanna explained, unpacking what food she had collected earlier in the day. She appeared to have been living on her own for several days now. What was that like, she wondered? What was it like to live on your own in the wilderness, knowing you might very well be the only one alive?

She couldn't fathom it.

"Are you Parasitic?" Rosanna asked suddenly, drawing her from her thoughts. She nodded meekly, and Rosanna scooted more food over to her. "Here, eat this. I'll find some more."

"No, it's alright," she reassured the Finder. "I got plenty to eat today. Here, eat some more."

"But if Akuma find us, you'll need energy to fight," Rosanna protested.

In reality, if Akuma _did_ find them, she had no clue what she'd do with Crown Clown damaged. She didn't want to worry Rosanna any more, though, so she decided to keep those worries to herself.

"Rosanna, I need you to eat too," she said sternly, pushing the cloth the food was currently resting on toward her. Seeing the woman shake her head stubbornly, she let out a frustrated sigh. "Look, I can survive off of what I already have for one night. Tomorrow we will return to town, and if we don't find the others by then, we'll contact Headquarters for help. We can't do that if we aren't well rested and have the energy to do it, though."

Rosanna pressed her lips, no doubt debating on what to say next. "Eat half of mine. Deal? Enough for you and your Innocence, and enough for me not to starve."

Madelynn frowned. Rosanna was going to be difficult, she could tell. "One fifth."

"One third."

"_One fifth_."

"One forth. Take it or I don't eat."

Madelynn twitched. "Eat some of the fish."

Odd. She'd never given away fish that was on her plate before.

"Madelynn," the woman warned.

"What?" Both women were on the edge of their patience.

"Eat your food or else."

She raised an eye brow, but something about that tone screamed motherly so she didn't dare push it. If Rosanna was anything like her mother, she didn't _want_ to know what 'or else' meant.

Her frown deepened, but she bit into the piece of fish, watching carefully to make certain Rosanna held up her part of the deal. Sure enough, she popped some of the berries she'd picked into her mouth, smiling warmly at her.

"There you go. Now that wasn't so hard, was it?" Rosanna said, tilting her head to the side.

The rest of their meal was spent in silence. As she ate, Madelynn's thoughts wandered to the others. There was no doubt in her mind that they'd been able to handle the rest of the battle on their own. But what about afterward? Were any of them injured? Or were they doing better than Rosanna and she was right now?

A drop of water fell on her face, and she blinked, looking up. It was difficult to see in the dark, but through the thin maze of branches above her there was no denying the dark clouds that were looming. "Aw, crud." The words slipped off her tongue as she took note of the soil beneath them.

Judging by the look of misery on Rosanne's face, this wasn't the first time she'd encountered this weather. "I hope it doesn't rain too hard…" she murmured. Madelynn opened her mouth, but before she could speak lightening flashed across the sky, followed by a roar of thunder that made Rosanna flinch. Almost immediately, the skies opened up, and rain pounded down on them.

Rosanna's eyes widened. "Madelynn! The food!"

She snatched up the remaining pieces of fish, wasting no time I stuffing them in her mouth. Rosanna blinked momentarily before she followed suit, scooping up the rest of the berries and stuffing them in her mouth. Then, without skipping a beat she flashed two thumbs up, grinning. The rain continued to fall relentlessly, and both stared, processing what had just happened.

And Madelynn was certain Rosanna had lost her mind when she suddenly doubled over, cracking up with laughter. Hard as she tried, she couldn't contain herself either, and soon joined in, clutching at her stomach.

This was crazy. Here they were, soaked to the bone and in the middle of nowhere, laughing without a care in the world. As they sat there in the discomfort of the brush, however, all of her worries seemed to wash away. It felt as though she were back at home again, standing barefoot on the front lawn and letting the rain caress her skin. Those days, which she believed had been too far out of reach for her, were suddenly just within reach. It couldn't compare to home, but it came close.

After several minutes, the rain seemed to take mercy on Rosanna, who was beginning to look like a drowned rat, slowing its pace. Both were silent for a moment, each lost in their own thoughts, before the older woman looked up at her. "I was born in Russia," she told her. "I grew up in a small village I was born in with my sister. We were raised by our mother and grandmother." Rosanna smiled at her. "What about you, Madelynn? I heard you were… American, was it?"

She nodded, smiling. "Yes. I lived in a small town in Washington. It's a state located on the West Coast."

For a moment, neither of them spoke. Madelynn watched the older woman with mild interest, water dripping down her face.

"America. Sounds nice," Rosanna mumbled. Running a hand through her wet hair, she asked her curiously, "how old are you, Madelynn?"

"Fifteen."

"I wasn't much older than you when I joined the Order." She smiled wistfully. "I first heard of the Millennium Earl after my village was destroyed by Akuma. I was one of the few survivors, but I lost everyone I loved because of the Earl."

Madelynn watched the woman, far too surprised to conjure a proper response.

Rosanna shook her head. "I was a completely different person back then. I hated everyone, especially the Earl… but mostly I blamed myself. When a group of Exorcists who'd been dispatched to survey the wreckage told me I was the accommodator for Innocence the Earl had been after, I was eager to join the Order."

Madelynn blinked. Rosanna had been an accommodator? But why was she a Finder?

"It was hard at first," Rosanna continued. "I couldn't speak an ounce of English, and people thought I would be useless because I depended so much on a translator." She laughed at the memory. "That translator became my best friend. He spent hours teaching English so I could get through the training needed to become a Finder."

"Wow." Madelynn smiled wistfully. "You've been through so much."

"Many of us have." Rosanna gazed out in the distance, watching the rain fall steadily on the river. "Whether we are Exorcists or Finders or supporters of the Black Order, we feel the same pain. The Earl brings grief upon us all, but it is what brings us together. Each of us yearns to help – to make him pay for the destruction he has caused – so we bind together and offer whatever resources we have." She smiled at her. "There is a spark in your eyes that wasn't there the first time I saw you. You've found your resolve, haven't you?" Upon seeing her confusion, she added, "Exorcists stick out, especially when you're new."

"I've come to terms with it." Madelynn answered. "I don't understand why you're a Finder, though. Weren't you an accommodator?" Suddenly, everything clicked into place. "Oh. You weren't compatible with the Innocence, were you?"

"No, I wasn't. But I'm happy being a Finder. I can't see myself in any other department."

Both women lapsed into silence once more, and as she listened to the rain's steady rhythm she found herself slipping into her own thoughts. Memories of her life in Washington resurfaced. Memories of looking outside water-stained windows; memories of wearing that bright rain jacket with the matching boots and jumping in water puddles.

Her favorite had to be the time Maria brought that giant umbrella to school. Maybe Kyle still had the pictures of her fighting with the strong winds that had been blowing that day?

She really hoped so. She missed those days so much…

It was only then she noticed Rosanna looking at her. As she met the older woman's gaze, Rosanna flushed with embarrassment. Madelynn smiled sheepishly.

"Well… this sure puts a damper on things, doesn't it?" She spoke awkwardly. The pun hadn't been intended.

"Certainly," Rosanna responded with a grin.

Madelynn couldn't help but grin back.

"It's nice, though – the rain, I mean," she replied, flushing as Rosanna blinked. "I mean, sure, the sun's nice, but haven't you just wanted to dance in the rain?"

"Dance? In the _rain_? Lavi and Allen are right – you _do_ say weird things."

"Isn't the first time I've heard it; won't be the last either."

Rosanna frowned. "If I didn't think I was half crazy, I might assume you loved this weather by the look the look on your face."

If possible, her grin grew wider.

"Nah. I just live for it."


	36. Chapter 36

**Disclaimer** - I don't own _D. Gray-Man_. The original plot and its characters belong to their respective owner, Katsura Hoshino.

* * *

When Madelynn woke the next morning, patches of sunlight were already piercing through the brush she and Rosanna had sought refuge in the night before. Peering outside their shelter, she could see the sun was just peaking over the horizon. The clouds had long ago parted, leaving behind just blue sky. It was the kind of weather Maria would be ecstatic to see.

Thinking about home made her stomach knot, but she pushed aside the distraction as quickly as it came. She'd woken up early enough to get a head start, and that was all that she needed to be focused on.

Grunting, she pushed herself into a sitting position. As she did so, her hands let out a throb, making her hiss. Her hands were sore this morning – far more than yesterday – and she groaned as realization sunk in. Doing _anything_ was going to be a pain today.

Literally.

Thankfully, the rain had long ago passed, but it'd been ruthless in leaving behind traces of its presence. The soil was damp, and it had been caked onto her skin and uniform. Across the way Rosanna laid, her hair speckled with dirt. It was evident the older woman had fallen asleep during watch, and Madelynn was certain she looked no better.

Crawling out from under the brush, wincing as branches poked and prodded her, she stood, wiping dirt off of her pants. Eying their surroundings carefully, she concluded after a moment that no one was around and set out to find breakfast.

"Heading somewhere?" A familiar voice chirped from behind, making her jump in alarm.

Whirling around, she blinked in surprise as her eyes fell on the brush, where Rosanna's head was poking out of. The older woman grinned, pushing their only bag toward her.

She grinned, jogging over to where Rosanna was at. "Morning," she replied, equally as cheerful.

Pushing herself onto her feet, Rosanna let out a laugh as their eyes met. "Oh my," she mused, "look at that dirty face of yours. You look like one of those chimney sweepers."

"I could say the same," she teased, "about you and that rat's nest in your hair."

Rosanna let out an audible gasp, reaching for her hair. Not even a moment later she shrugged, however. "You're probably right about that one." She yawned, stretching. "I didn't fall asleep during watch, did I?" She sounded embarrassed, if her red-tinted cheeks didn't provide that clue already.

Madelynn decided not to plague the woman with guilt. "No, I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't sleep. You were really sleepy, so I took over your shift."

"I don't recall that." Rosanna mused, frowning. She didn't dwell on it any longer, though. "Oh well. Long as we weren't skewered by Akuma we're good, right?"

They spent the majority of the morning meandering alongside the river towards their destination, collecting food along the way. Rosanna used this opportunity to instruct her on how to scavenge for food. "You don't know much about plants, so berries would be best as a last resort for you," she advised. Despite her suggestion, she used most of their time identifying various berry bushes, identifying which were safe to eat and which weren't. Berries were few and far in between, and both were active in taking advantage of the opportunity whenever it came.

Madelynn thought hard, studying the branch of berries hanging in front of her. "These are... poisonous?" She eyed Rosanna, waiting for her response.

"No, these are safe to eat," Rosanna responded.

She frowned. "Sorry," she mumbled, grabbing a handful before studying them intently for a moment, memorizing every detail, every smell she could trace. Once satisfied that she would not make the same mistake twice, she tucked them way into their backpack for them to eat later.

The pair continued this pattern of activity for several hours. By the time they stopped for lunch, the sun had already reached its highest point in the sky, and her stomach was growling in protest. They ate in silence, each captured in their own thoughts.

Then, just as she was shoving the remains of her lunch into her mouth, Rosanna spoke, her voice much softer than usual. "There was something I didn't tell you."

She blinked in surprise, for a moment at a loss for words. "What is it?" She asked, encouraging the woman to continue.

The older woman sighed, running a hand through her unkempt hair. "Being an Exorcist for several months now, you probably already know how powerless we Finders are against the enemy. Oftentimes, one Akuma is all it takes to wipe a whole squad out."

"Because Finders don't have Innocence, right?" She interjected.

Rosanna nodded. "That's true. Akuma are nearly impossible to defeat without Innocence. Finders have never been meant for combat; it's why we always opt for the defense position if we ever find ourselves in the middle of one."

"That makes sense," she mused. "How does this connect, though?"

"I'm getting there," Rosanna insisted, waving off her question. "So if Finders are not meant for combat, we would try to avoid it at all costs, right?"

"That's right." She frowned, uncertain where this was headed.

"Think about it, Madelynn." Rosanna persisted. "About how missions are structured. Who is sent out first?"

She thought for a moment. "Finders, right? The Order catches rumor of some sort of phenomenon that points to the possibility of Innocence and send Finders to investigate."

"Right." Rosanna explained, "now, depending on the situation, there can be several outcomes. In the easiest case scenario, the Finders locate the Innocence and manage to return with little to no struggle. However, should the _Earl_ hear of it, we are guaranteed to run into Akuma. And when Innocence is detected..."

Suddenly, everything clicked into place. "The Akuma swarm it, and Exorcists have to come."

Rosanna's squad had been ambushed by Akuma. Madelynn thought back to the corpse her own squad had come across just yesterday, grimacing as she remembered the manner in which it had been found. Odds were not in the Finders' favor. If anything, they had long ago departed from this world, and judging by Rosanna's austere manner when she recounted the nightmare, she wasn't denying that possibility.

"So," she continued, "the Akuma were looking for something when you encountered them. The only thing they would search for is Innocence."

"Exactly."

She met her gaze.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"If you're thinking that we need to go back there," Rosanna smiled, "then yes, I am."

* * *

She was no weather expert. Even then, she was certain the forecast would call for rain, had there actually been one. Rosanna was still praying for the weather to take mercy on them; Madelynn didn't have the heart to tell her prayers never got a person anywhere when it came to the rain, no matter which God you begged.

Really, though, she was just thankful to be a native Washingtonian. She hadn't spent fifteen years trudging through damp and muddy fields for nothing.

Pushing away some strands of damp hair that clung to her face, Rosanna sighed deeply and gazed upward. "Well," she managed after a moment, "the rain seems to be letting up."

No sooner than when the woman spoke did a spark of lightning tear through the sky, followed by the distinct rumble of thunder.

Madelynn watched, with great difficulty, as the woman's posture immediately slumped. Judging by the inaudible mumbling and the way she hung her head in defeat, it was safe to assume Rosanna's hopes had taken a direct hit.

"Well," Madelynn tried with great hesitancy, "it could be worse." Alright, so maybe that wasn't the best thing to say.

She flinched as Rosanna glared at her.

Scratch that. That had _definitely_ not been the best thing to say.

"Well," she immediately backpedaled, attempting to justify her prior statement, "anything can happen. Akuma could show up, or Noah." She paused for a moment, eying her surroundings for anything suspicious. In hindsight, she realized that was not the best thing to suggest as Rosanna immediately paled. "I doubt that will happen, though." She quickly added in reassurance.

"How can you be sure?" Rosanna mumbled. "It's best to always be prepared. Anything can happen."

"True," Madelynn mused, "but these _are_ the same people who walk away from a battle for supper."

If possible, Rosanna's gaze grew even more incredulous. "For supper?" She appeared to be struck with awe and disbelief for a moment before reconsidering it. "What kind of person would leave a battle early for food?"

Madelynn grinned sheepishly. "Well, if it's mitarashi dango..."

Rosanna's eyes widened, and she immediately doubled over, laughing. "Allen certainly would!" Madelynn struggled not to join in on the laughter – enemies very well could have been in the vicinity – but soon fell victim to the giggles that were threatening to break loose.

"Have you worked with Allen before, Rosanna?" Madelynn asked once the two had settled down somewhat. Rosanna nodded, grinning.

"I was dispatched on a mission with him once," Rosanna explained. "We'd been waiting for a train station when he randomly pulled out some crackers to share."

The incident made her recall all the times Allen had offered her food. It seemed to have become an automatic habit of his, and she couldn't help but wonder if he ever noticed. "Yeah," she responded, using her left arm to brush away her bangs that were once again sopping. As she did so, her wrist immediately throbbed with pain, and she had to suppress a hiss. "Sounds like something he'd say."

Rosanna eyed her. "How's your arm?" She asked, and Madelynn's mouth fell open.

"How'd you know?" She asked, gawking at her.

The older woman sighed in frustration. "What? You thought I wouldn't notice?"

She wasn't quite certain how to answer that. "Well... err..."

Rosanna held up a hand to silence her. "Years on the battlefield. _That's_ how I know. After so long, anyone can see an injured person from a mile away."

The pair fell silent for a moment, each lost in their own thoughts. Madelynn eyed the flat ground before breaking the silence, her quiet voice betraying her attempts to hide the shame rising in her gut.

"I'm sorry."

Rosanna shook her head, though this time she offered a small smile. "What are you apologizing for?" She ruffled her hair, and it was then Madelynn realized that for a woman of such a small stature, Rosanna was not one to underestimate. She slowed to a stop, and Madelynn blinked as she held out her hand. "Here, let me see it."

Hesitantly, she surrendered her arm, and Rosanna gingerly poked and prodded. After a moment, her fingers pressed into the skin around her wrist, evoking a yelp from her as pain shot through the area. "Found it," Rosanna said with a smile.

"I can see that," Madelynn forced through gritted teeth.

"Luckily for you, I know a thing or two about injuries pertaining to Parasitic weapons." Rosanna smiled, setting down her backpack before delving into it. "Now, where is it? I know I have some in here somewhere... ah ha!"

Right at that moment, the heavens rumbled before mercilessly unleashing a wave of water upon them. Madelynn choked back a laugh as Rosanna's smile faltered, zipping the backpack up with a little more force than what was necessary.

"You and your rain," Rosanna grumbled, crossing her arms.

It probably didn't help that she was now bursting in spirit, a hop now added to her every step with the occasional twirl.

"Well," she replied, "to be fair, I've always found the sunshine to be a little overrated."

* * *

**_Author's Note_**- Hello! Has it really been over three months since I last updated? It feels like years...

I know I've said this a lot lately, but this time I swear I _really_ tried. It wasn't my intention to disappear for so long. I posted chapter thirty-five back in April, and immediately set to work planning out this chapter. As the reviews started coming in, I was plugging away at the next chapter, determined to get it done in a more timely fashion.

Then life caught up. Teachers piled on projects, and family circumstances occupied most of my free time. For weeks I didn't write anything.

There's a purpose to this explanation, I promise you. Not too long ago, some reviews made their way to my inbox, and I realized this story had reached a major milestone. I mean, seriously guys? _Three hundred_ reviews? I know I take reviews very dearly, but that's just _awesome_. Just two years ago my friends had stumbled upon my very first rough draft of this story and demanded I share it with you all.

I won't lie to you guys. I admit that I've started writing for stuff other than FanFiction. A lot has changed for me this year. I started my novel - something that's _mine_, something I can call my own. Don't get me wrong; I consider Living Animation mine too. Maybe it isn't quite as much, since it _is_ FanFiction, but that's close enough for me.

Overall, my point is this: don't give up on me just yet. I'm still active, and Living Animation isn't finished yet. It'll have an ending sometime, though, because you, my dear readers, deserve that much.

- Kuraun Kuraun


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